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STRENGTH TRAINING SPECIAL AUGUST2021

BUILD A SUPERHERO PHYSIQUE • Movie star muscle made easy (p36) • SAS-inspired workout (p86) • Lift more than ever (p30)

GET STRONG WITHOUT WEIGHTS

20

GYM CLASSES YOU NEED TO TRY MUAY THAI RECOVERY TECH FAT-LOSS CIRCUITS

INCORPORATING F I T N E S S

&

A D V E N T U R E

OLYMPIC LIFTING FOR BEGINNERS MENTAL HEALTH

Understanding male postnatal depression

PROTEINPACKED MEALS

BEST GYM S H O ES £4.40

EDUCATION AWARDS 2021

EDITORIAL Editor Isaac Williams Art Director Xavier Robleda Editorial postal address: Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL ADVERTISING TANDEM MEDIA LTD Managing Director Catherine Rowe 01233 228750 catherine.rowe@tandemmedia.co.uk Account Manager Ben Rayment 01233 228752 ben@tandemmedia.co.uk Ad Production Manager Andy Welch 01233 220245 mensfit@tandemmedia.co.uk MANAGEMENT Managing Director Phil Weeden Chief Executive Steve Wright Chairman Steve Annetts Finance Director Joyce Parker-Sarioglu Publishing Director Kevin McCormick Subscriptions Director Gill Lambert Retail Distribution Managers Eleanor Brown, Steve Brown Senior Subscriptions Marketing Manager Nick McIntosh Head of Events Kat Chappell Publishing Operations Manager Charlotte Whittaker Print Production Manager Georgina Harris Print Production Controller Anne Meader DISTRIBUTION (UK) Marketforce (UK) Ltd, 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP, Tel: 0330 390 6555

EDITOR’S LETTER

hile it’s generally agreed there are 11 components of fitness – including less heralded aspects, like balance and coordination – few capture the imagination quite like strength. There’s a primal satisfaction that comes with lifting heavier weights, and a sense of achievement from realising the workout you struggled through a few weeks ago is now a whole lot easier. Strength is also easy to track, making it the yardstick most people who work out regularly use to monitor progress. The trouble is, mprovement isn’t secured imply by turning up and etting the job done. If you eally want to get stronger, ou need to force daptations – and to do hat, you need to broaden our horizons.

This issue, we’re elping you do just that, with features and insights esigned to introduce ew training methods hat could be the spark our training needs.

From eccentric strength raining – focusing on the owering phase of each ift – to elite-level insights rom personal trainers to the stars Don Saladino (whose clients include Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal) and Bobby Rich (David Beckham’s go-to man), in the pages that follow you will find the tools you need to unlock a higher level of strength and general physical conditioning.

Isaac Williams, Editor isaac.williams@kelsey.co.uk

DISTRIBUTION (N. IRELAND AND REP. OF IRELAND) Newspread, Tel: +353 23 886 3850 PRINTING William Gibbons & Sons Ltd COVER Model: Amoila Cesar Photography: beachbodyondemand.com Kelsey Media 2021 © all rights reserved. Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published. Where photographs are included, which are not the property of the contributor, permission to reproduce them must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright.

The editor cannot guarantee a personal response to emails received. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. Kelsey Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for products and services offered by third parties.

Kelsey Media takes your personal data very seriously.

For more information on our privacy policy, please visit kelsey.co.uk/privacy-policy. If you have any queries regarding Kelsey’s data policy you can email our Data Protection Officer at dpo@kelsey.co.uk

ISSUE 256 AUGUST 2021

WITH HELP FROM… KIERAN ALGER

works in the space where health, fitness, sport and tech collide. This issue, he reviews the best products to ramp up recovery (p26).

CHARLIE ALLENBY

is a journalist with a passion for fitness. His focus this issue is on the low-and-slow lifting method of eccentric strength training (p30).

LAURA POTTER

enjoys delving deeper into fitness trends. On p40, she attempts to answer the age-old question: when is the best time to work out?

JOE MINIHANE

is an author and mental health advocate.

In this issue, he explores the worrying rise in male postnatal depression and anxiety (p66).

SUBSCRIPTIONS Men’s Fitness is published every month.

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AUGUST 2021

3

CONTENTS 34 “FOCUSING ON THE LOWERING PHASE IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY OF INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF PULLUPS YOU CAN DO”

IN FOCUS 30 Eccentric Training

Maximise strength and muscle by switching focus to the lowering phase of each rep

36 Don Saladino

The celebrity PT reveals how to build a superhero physique fit for Hollywood

40 Exercise Timing

When is the best time to work out? Science has the answer – and it’s not when you think

47 20 Best Gym Classes

From specialist strongman to full-throttle HIIT circuits, these are the best the UK has to offfer

52 Muay Thai UPDATES

PERFECT FIT

The ‘art of eight limbs’ is the ultimate test of stamina, power and resilience

58 Ben Stokes

09 Warm-up

22 Lifting Shoes

Specialist options for compound movements

The cricket star talks fitness, family and the secrets to his success

10 News

24 Gym Trainers

63 Break the Habit

26 Tech Talk

66 Postnatal Depression

Limber up with this full-body stretch sequence The simple trick for quads of steel

14 Mind

Why it pays to be a morning person

16 Cover Star

Meet this issue’s frontman Amoila Cesar

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AUGUST 2021

Versatile shoes that can do a bit of everything

The best recovery products for 2021

How to prevent harmful everyday behaviours from affecting your mental health

With as many as one in ten fathers affected, more awareness is needed

ISSUE 256 AUGUST 2021

42

FUEL 72 Nutrition News

Facts and findings from the world of food

“DAYTIME PEAK FORCE IS NEARLY ALWAYS DEMONSTRATED TO BE HIGHEST BETWEEN 4PM AND 6PM”

36

74 Recipes

Muscle-building mains packed full of protein

76 Protein Bars

A selection of the best post-workout snacks

74

8

TRAINER 80 Best-Body Blueprint

“Train smart. Train often. It’s not rocket science”

82 Beachbody Workout

Cover star Amoila Cesar’s hard-hitting circuit

86 ThruDark Workout

Can you complete this SAS-inspired session?

94 Give Me Strength

How to master Olympic lifting

96 Ask the Expert

58

Build muscle outside without weights

98 Final Thought

Take your fitness to new heights with hill sprints

94 AUGUST 2021

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●UPDATES

LUCKY DIP

New research suggests hot baths could help you train better in summer t can be hard work to exercise outside in the scorching summer heat.

Now, though, scientists think they’ve discovered a simple way to help your body acclimatise: warm baths. The new paper, published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, found that taking a 40-minute bath, after training in normal temperatures, can help your body to adapt to warmer temperatures better than the more traditional acclimation method of simply ‘getting used to it’.

Taking a warm bath in water of about 40°C was shown to elicit improvements in resting body temperature, sweating performance and post-exercise temperature – all of which were greater than those gained from training in hot weather.

This intriguing new research is the latest in a series of scientific papers, which have revealed the surprising performance benefits of baths.

“We found that if you take a hot bath after exercising in temperate conditions, building up from ten to 40 minutes over the course of six days, you get a profound reduction in resting core temperature of about a third of a degree, which more than bettered exercise heat acclimation,” explains Professor Neil Walsh of Liverpool John Moores University, who has led much of the hot-bath research in recent years. “This translates to lower body temperature during exercise in the heat, lower heart rate and reduced cardiovascular strain.”

The mechanism behind this adaptation has yet to be fully explained, but it seems that hot baths help your body to become more efficient at managing heat without losing any extra sweat, which could otherwise lead to further dehydration. The practice seems to work well for elite athletes and recreational athletes alike, and some international footballers and pro cyclists are already following the hot-bath protocol.

However, before you start running the hot tap seven nights a week, stay mindful of the fact that hot baths may impair sperm function and reduce fertility. So if you and your partner are trying to conceive, get out early or late in the day and, if needs be, swap hot-weather acclimatisation for hotweather avoidance.

Words: Mark Bailey | Photography: Getty Images

I

HOT STUFF

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AUGUST 2021

Warm-up

UPDATES●

FULL STRETCH

Before you go any further, limber up with this full-body routine from Rachele Gilman, director of stretch inc.

“Working on flexibility reduces muscle imbalances, which in turns helps to reduce your risk of injury,” says Gilman. “Increasing muscular flexibility

also improves posture, and improved posture leads to proper alignment and increased range of motion – critical for how deep you can squat and how safely

you can lift. Ultimately, improving your flexibility helps your muscles to work more effectively, leading to greatly improved performance.”

1. WALKOUTS

Photography: stretch inc.

REPS: 1 SETS: 1 This movement works your core and upper body, stretching your glutes, lower back and hamstrings.

From standing, fold forward to place your chest on your knees and your hands on the floor.

Slowly walk your hands out until you’re in a high plank.

Now walk your hands back until you’re in the forward fold position.

2. MID-BACK EXTENSION

5. SUPINE TWIST

REPS: 5 SETS: 1 This is a counterbalanced movement that strengthens the spine as it stretches the chest and abs. This is the move for you if you sit down for large parts of the day.

Start on your stomach, with your forehead on the floor, legs extended, ankles hip-width apart, and the tops of your feet touching the floor.

Place your hands by your side, with the backs of your hands on the floor.

Press your feet into the floor, roll your shoulders down your back, engage your glutes, and inhale to lift your chest and legs using only your back and core muscles.

Keep your gaze just in front of you to keep a neutral neck.

Remember to engage the glutes to help prevent compressing the lower back.

Exhale as you lower your body back to the start.

REPS: 5 deep breaths each side SETS: 1 The supine twist stretches your lower back and glutes to help mitigate lower back pain.

Lie on your back with your legs extended.

Extend your arms out to the sides.

Bend one leg so that the knee is pointed up and lightly hook the toes of the bent leg’s foot under the straight leg’s knee.

Guide the bent knee across your body – you can use your hand to press the knee towards the floor, if accessible.

Turn your head towards the arm of the straight leg.

3. QUAD STRETCH REPS: 20 secs each leg SETS: 1 This is a static stretch that works the quads and the hip flexors.

From standing, grab your right foot or ankle in both hands and pull it towards your backside.

Focus on keeping your core tight, tailbone tucked, knees in alignment with each other and hips straight.

4. PRONE FIGURE 4 REPS: 20 secs each side SETS: 1 Targets the psoas, piriformis, hip flexors, hamstrings and quads, and increases general hip mobility.

Start on your back with the knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

Push your head and back into the floor as you cross the left ankle over the right knee, flexing the left foot.

Work the bent knee out so that both knees are in the same plane.

Pull the right knee towards your chest.

STRETCH INC. OFFERS ONLINE GUIDED STRETCHES AND IN-PERSON ASSISTED STRETCHES AT ITS LONDON STUDIOS IN POP BRIXTON AND SEVEN DIALS. FIND OUT MORE AT STRETCHINC.UK

AUGUST 2021

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●UPDATES

COCKTAIL MENU

A new study from Columbia University has found that a ‘cocktail’ of different exercise intensities delivers optimum fitness benefits. Accumulating data from six studies, involving 130,000 adults in the UK, the US and Sweden, the authors tested how different exercise ratios could improve overall health.

The results revealed three successful cocktails of exercise, all of which can help to slash your risk of an early death by about 30 per cent.

The first option is to do 55 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise, like running or lifting weights, and four hours of light activity – like walking the dog, doing housework, stretching or just being up on your feet – per day. The second option is to do a shorter blast of 13 minutes of exercise, but a longer 5.5 hours of light activity each day. And the third option is to do an even shorter three minutes of exercise, paired with six hours of light activity. All three ratios can help to counteract the negative effects caused by the nine to 11 hours many of us spend sitting down each day.

27

is the peak age for athletes, according to research by PureGym. After analysing more than 1,000 trophy-winning teams and sporting champions, PureGym found that at 27 athletes are most likely to bag personal achievements and win trophies.

It’s the age Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score against all 19 opposing La Liga teams while winning the league with Real Madrid, and LeBron James took home his first NBA title. However, the analysis also revealed that peak performance differs from sport to sport, and all is not lost for the older athlete – as proven by Roger Federer, who won his eighth Wimbledon title at almost 36, and Tom Brady, who became the most decorated quarterback in NFL history at the age of 43.

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AUGUST 2021

Next time you get on your bike, add in some muscle-building sprint intervals. A recent study by the University of Texas, published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, found that maximal power cycling triggers a 12 per cent increase in quad muscle mass after just eight weeks of training. The cyclists in the study, who performed 15 minutes of sprint intervals three times a week, also enjoyed a surge in muscle power and maximal oxygen consumption, which helped to enhance their overall cycling performance.

EARWORM WARNING

If you like listening to music before bed, keep it mellow. Research published in the journal Psychological Science found that people who listen to catchy songs before bed are six times more likely to suffer poor-quality sleep. They found that our brains continue to process music for several hours after the music stops, so we experience ‘earworms’ – catchy songs that loop in the mind – which affect our sleep quality.

NIKE SWIM SHORTS

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Words: Mark Bailey | Photography: Getty Images

Photography: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

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5-Move Fat-Burner

●UPDATES

Try this simple circuit from celebrity PT Jono Castano

YOGI’S HIGH If a mild illness or some rainy

weather stops you training outside, boost your brain and body with some yoga stretches at home instead. An interesting new review published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine has revealed that doing yoga three times per week delivers the same boost to your brain health as cardiovascular activity. Yoga increases your blood flow and pumps more glucose to your brain, so you enjoy better cognitive performance and an elevated mood.

MAKE YOUR BED Healthy men write to-do lists, finish the washing up, make their beds and always fold away clothes, because being conscientious helps to sustain better health, according to research by Duke University. The researchers found that when people stay conscientious in their daily habits and chores, they naturally tend to do more exercise, clean their teeth and eat healthier food, too. That makes them 27 per cent less likely to suffer health problems such as obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension and gum disease later in life. Bleaching the toilet’s never felt so good.

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AUGUST 2021

1,000

extra steps per day, even in short spurts, can slash your risk of death by 28 per cent. 1

• You’re going to do 1 minute of each exercise, moving from one to the other with minimal rest.

• Once 1 round is complete, rest a further minute, then repeat for a total of 4-5 rounds.

1a. Squat Trunk Rotation

• Stand with feet shoulderwidth apart.

Hold a dumbbell in both hands, then push it out away from your chest.

• Now squat as low as you feel comfortable, with your knees driving out and back staying straight.

• Come back up and rotate your torso to the left, then right.

• Repeat.

1b. DB Shoulder Press

• Start with the dumbbells held at shoulder height, then punch to the sky.

• Control the tempo on the way down.

1c. Side Plank

• Start in a plank position, then rotate to the right side, stacking your ankles and lifting your left arm up.

• After 1 minute, repeat on the other side.

• To make it harder, you can hold a light dumbbell in the air.

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1d. Diamond Press-Up

• Starting in a press-up position, make a diamond shape with your hands directly under your shoulders.

• Lower yourself to the ground, keeping your elbows tucked into your body, then push up to the starting position.

1e. High Knees

• Starting in a standing position, bring your left knee to your left palm at a 90-degree angle.

• Switch to the right knee and repeat.

• Pick up the pace to fire up fat loss.

Jono Castano’s six-week Body Transformation programme can be accessed online via the LIVENow Fitness platform.

Words: Mark Bailey | Photography: Getty Images | 1. American Heart Association

PRESS PAUSE

Researchers at the University of Alabama found that people who watch a lot of TV suffer a 6.9 per cent greater decline in cognitive function and a 0.5 per cent greater reduction in grey matter compared to those with less screen time. That represents a worrying level of brain atrophy, which can affect your ability to remember, think, reason, communicate and solve problems. Try to limit your TV binges and mix in more brain-healthy hobbies – reading and puzzle games – to keep your mind firing on all cylinders.

Geraint Thomas

LIFE IN NUMBERS

Watch here

Ever wondered how many Welsh cakes Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas could eat – if he was allowed – during a week of training? From the unexpected to the outrageous, take a look at some of the numbers in the Grand Tour winner’s life.

We provide maximum grip for cyclists and motorists with our Black Chili technology in our highperformance tyres. www.continental-tyres.co.uk/car/stories/cycling/blackchili-technology

A 34-year-old man who became suicidal after breaking his back twice is to star in a documentary, after finding solace in open-water swimming. Wild Swim Jim will chart Jim Read’s journey to becoming a cross-Channel swimmer and swim coach, six years after falling foul of an industrial accident. Adventure film maker Rachel Sarah says she hopes to finish the project in August after Read’s Channel attempt in July.

“It can be really hard for men to talk about mental health,” she says, “but Jim is so natural, so open about his struggles. I knew this was a story I had to tell.”

QUICK THINKERS

If you haven’t seen Netflix’s The Speed Cubers yet, set 40 minutes aside for a true hidden gem. Because while you might not associate the Rubik’s Cube with highoctane drama, elite-level ‘speedcubing’ – where the line between victory and defeat is defined by milliseconds – is one of the tensest, tightest competitions around. It’s also big business, with the World Cube Association (WCA) Rubik’s Cube World Championships attracting thousands of competitors every two years. And Red Bull have even got in on the action, with the Red Bull Rubik’s World Cup launching in 2018. Eighteen-year-old Chris Mills is the UK’s fastest speedcuber. He holds national records for the fastest single solve time of a Rubik’s Cube (five seconds) and for the fastest average time over three solves (7.27 seconds).

is another organisation helping to break the stigma around men’s mental health. Founded

by Londoner Scott Johnson, the group conducts one-on-one walks with men in need, offering space to talk and be heard. Although in its infancy, the group is open to new members from all walks of life. Find out more by searching @theproperblokesclub

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AUGUST 2021

EARLY TO BED, EARLY TO RISE…

makes a man less likely to get depressed, according to a major A m e r i c a n s t u d y.

Psychiatrists looked at the sleeping patterns of more than 840,000 people and found that early risers are less prone to suffering with depressive disorders, possibly because they get increased daylight exposure. A new study at Exeter University g o e s f u r t h e r, i n d i c a t i n g that wellbeing is closely linked to listening to your body clock.

MOVING MEDITATION

If you’re feeling down, or finding low moods are leading to angry outbursts, Tai Chi could be the solution for you.

A traditional Chinese martial art, Tai Chi combines continuous physical, mental and spiritual movements said to help balance the Yin and Yang (positive and negative life forces). While Tai Chi movements are often touted as a good form of gentle exercise, Chinese researchers have found that using them as a form of meditation also helps calm the mind.1

FLYING SCOTSMAN

The World’s Strongest Man is a neurodiverse Scot who suffered from crippling shyness as a teenager. Tom Stoltman, 27, beat competitors from around the world to claim the title. The 6’8” strongman, who was diagnosed with autism as a child, has been open about his personal battles with self-confidence. Speaking to MF back in 2020, he said, “Starting Strongman was tough – all the cameras and stuff, I could never talk to people face to face.” With support from his family, though – particularly his brother Luke, a fellow finalist in the competition – Tom overcame his shyness to claim the biggest prize of all.

Words: Simon Cross | Photography: Getty Images | 1. Aggression and Violent Behaviour

WILD SWIM JIM

Photography: Sam Walker

●UPDATES

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Photography: www.beachbodyondemand.com / Ian Spanier @ianspanier

●UPDATES COVER STAR

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AUGUST 2021

MEET THE FRONTMAN:

Amoila Cesar On the cover this issue is strength and conditioning coach, and Beachbody Super Trainer, Amoila Cesar. From professional athletes and A-list celebs, to mums and everyday gym-goers, Cesar has inspired millions of people to reach new limits and become the best versions of themselves.

In 2019, he launched Beachbody’s ‘THE WORK’ training programme – an intense six-week plan focused on fat loss and functional strength – which sold over 24 million in 28 months and made Cesar a well-known trainer across the pond. His new

programme, ‘645’, has just launched, and on page 82 you can try one of the minimal-kit workouts featured in it for yourself.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY While Cesar’s workouts are often high-intensity, he cautions against a pedal-the-metal approach in each and every session. Long-term consistency, he says, is preferable to short-term burnout.

“If you want to see results, you need to do the work,” Cesar tells MF. “Train hard. Exercise frequently.

Challenge yourself. Be consistent.

That’s the formula for achieving just

“Exercise frequently.

Challenge yourself.

Be consistent”

about any fitness goal. But many people take that to mean that they should push themselves to the limit in every workout, and that if they don’t walk away feeling wrecked, they didn’t go hard enough. Here’s the reality: training too hard, too often, is a recipe for overtraining, which can not only slow your progress, but also increase your risk of injury.”

MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE Cesar refers to himself as a functional trainer. “My philosophy is movement is medicine,” he says, “and our mission in life is to find out what our bodies are capable of.”

Linking back to overtraining, Cesar believes the main mistake men make when trying to get in shape is setting unrealistic goals for themselves: “Master the basics and respect the need for recovery. Above all, the best advice I would give is to not allow societal pressures to look a certain way dictate your growth. Don’t force progress by trying to lose 30lbs in a month. Love and honour your body, and respect the process.”

Rapid Responses FAVOURITE FITNESS KIT? Steel mace

BEST CHEAT MEAL? Pancakes and ice cream

GO-TO WORKOUT MUSIC? Hip hop

BEST TIME TO TRAIN? 7am

FITNESS PET HATE? Showing up late

FAVOURITE EXERCISE? Landmine variations

HARDEST EXERCISE? Air Bike

AUGUST 2021

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Photography: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

FROM THE ARCHIVE

Bodybuilding icon Arnold Schwarzenegger flexes on Muscle Beach, Santa Monica, in 1966. ‘Arnie’, who won Mr. Universe at just 20 before going on to claim the Mr. Olympia title seven times, put weightlifting into the public consciousness and helped bodybuilding hit the mainstream. While sports science has completely changed some aspects of weight training, the basic muscle-building principles of the 60s and 70s still hold true today – and are well worth including in your routine.

SUCCEED IN STYLE

HOME IMPROVEMENTS Five essential bits of kit to transform your out-of-gym sessions PULL-UP BAR

Master the pull-up and you’ll be well on your way to a solid physique. Get a bar at home and aim for at least 6 sets each week – once you can hit 10 reps consistently, you know you’re in very good nick.

Best buy: Beachbody Chin-Up Bar £59.84, teambeachbody.com/shop/gb

RESISTANCE BANDS

Resistance bands work particularly well for higher reps, and one study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research showed that using a combination of bands and weights is more productive than using weights exclusively.

Best buy: My Protein Resistance Bands £12-£22, myprotein.com

KETTLEBELL

Bridging the gap between strength and cardio, virtually every kettlebell moves requires core stability and a good level of cardiovascular fitness, as your muscles are forced to compensate for the bell’s low centre of mass.

Best buy: Body Power 16kg Kettlebell £55.99, fitness-superstore.co.uk

SUSPENSION STRAPS

Suspension training allows your whole body to strengthen as a unit, and while the larger muscles are the main targets, your smaller, stabilising muscles are also being engaged. That means you’re reducing any weak points in the system, improving both efficiency and movement.

Best buy: TRX Move System £99.95, store.trxtraining.co.uk

Photography: Getty Images

AB WHEEL

A deceptively comprehensive bit of kit that not only isolates your abs, but also works your lats, erector spinae, delts, chest, biceps and triceps for full-body benefits.

Start from a kneeling position, keep a slow rhythm and really pay attention to your muscle control.

Best buy: Body Power Premium Ab Wheel £9.99, fitness-superstore.co.uk

AUGUST 2021

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●PERFECT FIT LIFTING SHOES

LIFT OFF

ou wear football boots to play football in and you wear walking boots to walk in. But you wear running shoes to… lift weights? The importance of a good lifting shoe has long been overlooked, but when you wear a pair of specialist ‘lifters’ you will instantly improve technique, biomechanics, injury resistance and strength.

A good lifting shoe has a flat sole to increase ground contact and stability, and the midsole should be firm: if it’s soft it’ll compress under load, resulting in power leaks. It should also be wedgeshaped, with the heel sitting higher than the toes, which allows you to squat deeper and maintain an upright torso throughout your lifts. The upper, meanwhile, should be firm, with a little flexibility, to support the feet without compromising comfort.

Y

Intro: Steve Hoyles | Photography: Renato Macassi/inov-8

Five of the best specialist weightlifting shoes for anyone serious about strength training

INOV-8 FASTLIFT 360 £150, inov-8.com

It’s a brand more commonly associated with trail running than heavy lifting, but it seems inov-8’s footwear expertise isn’t limited to the land of mud and hills. The Fastlift 360 is everything a lifting shoe should be: stable and grippy, with just enough flexibility for moving with comfort and control.

Best-in-test traction is provided by a sticky rubber outsole, which combines with an ultra-sturdy base to deliver the most secure lifting experience of any shoe in this list.

Grip: H H HH Stability: H H H H H Comfort: H H H H H OVERALL: H H H H H

HIGH HEEL COUNTER Improves ankle stability without compromising flexibility.

STRAPS Often included to secure foot position and improve fit.

STIFF UPPER Provides ample support, but just enough flexibility for the toes to move during lifts.

RAISED HEEL Improves ankle flexion, which allows for a more upright torso and improved squat depth.

STIFF HEEL Minimal compression means no lost power during the lift.

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AUGUST 2021

FLAT SOLE Increases surface area for floor contact, improving stability.

REEBOK LEGACY LIFTER 2

NIKE ROMALEOS 4

Reebok’s CrossFit pedigree comes to the fore with the next generation of its much-loved Legacy Lifter. Comfortable straight out the box and available in a range of colourways, this shoe is a squatter’s dream, with the raised heel – complete with TPU clip for locked-in support – and wide, rubber outsole encouraging complete range of motion. If there’s one slight gripe, it’s that the strap could be slightly longer.

After the huge success of the Romaleos 2 (which some consider to be the best ever lifting shoe), and the underwhelming third iteration, Nike is back with a bang with the Romaleos 4. The usual lifting features are there – wide, high heel; adjustable straps; rigid midsole – but the overall feel of the shoe is what impressed us. Stability is the most important factor, but that’s paired with genuine comfort matched by few other lifters.

£150, reebok.co.uk

Grip: ★★★★

Stability: ★★★★

£179.95, nike.com

Comfort: ★★★★

OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★

Grip: ★ ★★ ★★ Stability: ★ ★★ ★★ Comfort: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★★

UNDER ARMOUR TRIBASE REIGN 3

ADIPOWER WEIGHTLIFTING 2

It might lack the completely flat, lifting-specific outsole of other shoes in the list, but the latest TriBase Reign is still a solid option – particularly if you’re switching from compound lifts to lighter cardio or weights work within the same workout. The full rubber outsole provides the grip (and wraps up the sides for added stability), while the mesh upper brings the comfort and breathability.

Grip: ★★★★ Stability: ★★★ ★ Comfort: ★★★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★

A breathable, woven textile upper with inner reinforcements provides both foot-hugging comfort and added stability, while laces and a strap work together to lock down your midfoot. The flexible forefoot allows your toes to move naturally mid-lift, and the rigid TPU midsole stands up well to heavy loads. At less than £100, this is the shoe for you if you’re dipping your toe into lifting and don’t want to spend the really big bucks.

Grip: ★★★★★ Stability: ★★★★ Comfort: ★★★★★ OVERALL: ★★★ ★

£105, underarmour.co.uk

£97.50, adidas.co.uk

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●PERFECT FIT GYM TRAINERS

CROSS-TRAINERS These multi-purpose gym shoes stand up to any workout inding the right workout trainer brings needles and haystacks to mind, mainly because the gym experience is so varied: one man’s go-to workout consists of treadmills and rowing machines, another camps out by the squat racks, and others still enjoy a bit of everything. We’ve covered lifting-specific shoes in the previous pages, but if you need something to cover all bases – from burpees to barbells – the following trainers combine cardio comfort with a decent amount of weights-ready stability.

F

ALLBIRDS TREE DASHER £120, allbirds.co.uk

Allbirds is the brand marrying performance with sustainability. Every shoe it produces uses as much natural material like wool, tree and sugar as possible, and the brand prides itself on being 100 per cent carbon neutral. Thankfully those eco credentials are backed up by impressive design, too, with the Tree Dasher boasting a dual-density SweetFoam® midsole for cushioning, stability and ample energy return.

Elsewhere, the seamless one-piece upper – made from FSC® Certified eucalyptus trees – provides sock-like comfort whatever the workout.

Stability: ★ ★★ ★ ★ Comfort: ★ ★★ ★★ Breathability: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★

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NOBULL GRANITE TRAINER

NEW BALANCE MINIMUS TR

ON CLOUD X

A premium-quality shoe for every type of training, NOBULL’s Granite Trainer combines next-level comfort with a level of lightweight stability that’s hard to come by. Durability and breathability are provided by the seamless onepiece upper – made from abrasionresistant SuperFabric® – and underfoot grip is ensured with criss-crossed lugs on the outsole.

From weights work to HIIT circuits, the Minimus TR has got you covered.

No-sew overlays on the upper combine with ‘premium liners’ inside the shoe for silky-soft comfort (New Balance even designed the shoe to be worn without socks), while full rubber coverage across the midsole delivers added cushioning and support.

Stability: ★ ★★ ★★ Comfort: ★ ★★ ★★

Comfort: ★★★★ Breathability: ★ ★★ ★★

Swiss brand On has successfully shaken up the world of running shoes, and if the Cloud X is anything to go by there’s every sign it can do the same in gym wear. The lightweight frame means you won’t be weighed down when working out, while Helion™ Superfoam cushioning does a fine job of absorbing impact.

Breathability is ensured by the mesh upper and integrated tongue and sock layer lining.

Breathability: ★★★★

OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★

£130, nobullproject.com

OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★

£95, newbalance.co.uk

Stability: ★★★★

£130, on-running.com

Stability: ★★★ ★ Comfort: ★ ★★ ★★ Breathability: ★ ★★ ★★

OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★★

PUMA PURE XT

ASICS GEL-KAYANO 28

MIZUNO TC-11

Even if you struggle to stomach the average price of trainers, Puma’s Pure XT is more than just a budget-friendly option. All-surface traction is provided by a PUMAGRIP rubber compound on the outsole, while the ProFoam ion midsole ensures lightweight shock absorption. The shoe fits a dream, too, thanks to the wraparound TPU cage.

Primarily a running shoe, but one more than capable of transitioning to the gym floor, Asics’ Gel-Kayano has been around since the mid-90s and has plenty of high-spec features to show for it. A redesigned external heel counter helps lock the foot in place, and the rearfoot and forefoot GEL™ cushioning soaks up impact with ease.

Stability: ★ ★★ ★★ Comfort: ★★★★★ Breathability: ★★★ ★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★★

Stability: ★★★ ★ Comfort: ★★★★ Breathability: ★★★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★★

With a low profile and flat base, Mizuno’s TC-11 bears all the hallmarks of a weightlifting shoe. However, the knitted upper and soft, flexible midsole make it just as at home pounding out burpees as picking up heavy stuff from the floor. The jack-of-all-trades approach means it doesn’t quite excel in either area, but this is a perfectly good shoe for anyone who enjoys an allaction approach to fitness.

£65, uk.puma.com

£155, asics.com/gb

£124.99, emea.mizuno.com/uk/en-gb

Stability: ★★★★ Comfort: ★★★ ★ Breathability: ★★★ ★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★

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25

●PERFECT FIT TECH TALK

FIX UP TRAIN SHARP

These high-tech tools will help you recover as hard as you train hatever your fitness goals, consistency is crucial, and if you want to keep showing up, doing the work and banking results without unwanted interruptions, recovery should be a fundamental

W

RIIXO

£128.99, riixo.com Ice baths are unpleasant, trips into a cryogenic chamber expensive, and both are impractical when it comes to recovery on the move. These three-in-one Riixo cuffs offer a smarter way to unlock the benefits of targeted cold and heat therapy plus compression in one brilliantly simple, convenient, portable package.

Each cuff is made from a high-compression-grade antimicrobial fabric with gel pads that wrap the calves and the front of your shins. The cold compression sensation sits just the right side of the pleasure-pain divide, and you get the blood flow-boosting benefits of an ice-bath plunge, without the pain of having your whole body frozen.

It’s admittedly odd at first, but in testing offered instant relief to calves following a 100km ultramarathon, and worked wonders restoring 40-year-old legs after their first 90 minutes of football in five years.

The hot/cold two-in-one is excellent, and you can stick them in the freezer or pop them in the microwave. The cold plus compression improves blood flow, helps reduce swelling and is brilliantly soothing for battered calves and fending off DOMS. The heat can be used for warming up and relaxing muscles, as well as warding off nasty cramps.

They come in six different sizes, so whether you’ve got

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AUGUST 2021

foundation of your training regime. That means giving your cardio and muscular systems enough down time to build back stronger between sessions, and tending to tired, tight or sore muscles to ward off potential consistency-killing

Mo Farah matchsticks or Jack Grealish monster calves, you can find the right fit. If we had one quibble, it’s that they could hold their chill a little longer once they’re on.

Portability: ★ ★★ ★★ Ease of use: ★ ★★ ★★ Effectiveness: ★ ★★ ★★

OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★★

injury. Luckily, we’re in the midst of a recovery gear boom. Here’s our pick of the best massage guns, muscle stimulators, rollers and compression tech, to help you bounce back not just faster, but stronger too.

HERAGUN RECOVERYAIR

599, theragun.com

he pioneers of the percussive massage gun have moved into compression boots. hese leg fixers inflate and deflate, delivering sequential compression to boost blood irculation, flush metabolic waste and bring fresh, oxygenated blood back to the rea to speed recovery. Unlike some boots, you can manually set units of pressure, nd hold time and session length with precision. The RecoveryAir also monitors pressure according to your leg size, avoiding dangerous over-compression. They’re not particularly portable, though, so best used at home in front of the telly.

Portability: ★ ★★★ ★ Ease of use: ★ ★★★

Effectiveness: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★

POWERPLATE MINI+

PULSEROLL PULSEBALL

Massage guns are having a moment. They’re even cropping up on racks at gyms, and the selection of these pounding powertools is now vast and somewhat baffling. What makes the Mini+ stand out is the size. At 435g, the portable pummeller is nicely compact and pleasingly quiet, and offers up to five hours of muscle mashing on a single charge.

Unlike bigger guns, which tend to have removable batteries and hulking great docks, the easy USB-C charging also boosts the Mini+’s on-the-move abilities, and it’s small enough to stick in a gym or post-race kit bag, or to add to your endurance toolkit for mid-race treatments.

While it doesn’t pack the force of some larger percussive devices, the balance of convenience and effectiveness strikes just about the right note.

The spherical Pulseball is designed to get into troublesome areas regular foam rollers struggle to reach. That makes it great for targeting tight spots on backs, calves, shoulders, biceps and feet. It has four vibrating speeds – from 2,200 to 4,000 RPM – and comes with a remote control that makes it easier to change while you’re using it.

At 680g and about the size of a baseball, it’s also the most stashable recovery tool on our list, but still delivers a solid six hours of use on a single charge.

Portability: ★ ★★ ★★ Ease of use: ★ ★★ ★★ Effectiveness: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★

Portability: ★ ★★ ★★ Ease of use: ★ ★★ ★★ Effectiveness: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★

£179.95, powerplate.co.uk

£79.99, pulseroll.com

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●PERFE

IT TECH TALK HYPERICE VYPER 2.0 £199, hyperice.com

The foam roller is an essential tool in any recovery arsenal. The Vyper 2.0 shifts up a gear from your regular dumb rubber cylinders by adding a bit of extra vibration to your self-myofascial massages.

It packs three speeds – low, medium or high – and you get the same pressure as a regular roller, only with the added deeper penetrating sensation of the rapid oscillations. It’s also rechargeable and you get two hours’ use on a single juicing. The downside: it’s weightier – and quite considerably pricier – than a traditional roller.

Portability: ★ ★★ ★★ Ease of use: ★ ★★ ★★ Effectiveness: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★★

POWERDOT 2.0 UNO From £175, theragun.com

Electrical muscle stimulation can help with rehab, reduce pain and boost exercise recovery, and this Powerdot e-stim is one of the most portable, easy-to-use solutions out there. You simply place the device on your body, sync with the companion app and identify which muscles you wish to stimulate. The pads do the rest, with more than ten programmes to boost blood flow, work out knots and soothe aching tissues for rapid relief. There’s a single pod, or a pricier two-pod option for doubling down on your recovery.

Portability: ★ ★★ ★★ Ease of use: ★ ★★ ★★ Effectiveness: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★★

MUSE 2

£239.99, choosemuse.com Meditation can help shift your body back into its calm parasympathetic mode after a stressful workout, and Muse’s brain-sensing headset helps train you in the mindful art. A research-grade EEG device, its suite of sensors passively track your brainwaves, breathing, movement and heart rate, turning the readings into audio feedback that acts like a guide, easing you into a state of mindfulness. When your mind is calm you hear birds, when it’s overactive you hear rain. It’s easy to use, brilliantly portable and excellent for improving sleep – the cornerstone of recovery.

Portability: ★ ★★ ★★ Ease of use: ★ ★★ ★★ Effectiveness: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★★

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AUGUST 2021

COMPEX FIXX 2.0 MASSAGER £399.99, compex.com

Compex’s second-gen, deep-tissue massage gun doe pack the app and coaching smarts of some top model this simplified tool does come with a colour LED displa five speeds – from 1,000 to 3,000 percussions per min – five interchangeable heads and three adjustable arm positions for tending to different muscles and reaching trickier body parts during DIY massages. You also get minutes’ massage time on a single charge.

Portability: ★ ★★ ★★ Ease of use: ★ ★★★★ Effectiveness: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★

MIHIGH SAUNA BLANKET

HIGHERDOSE SAUNA BLANKET V3

Lying down in this deep-heating, body-bag blanket is a weird sensation that takes some getting used to – not least because you have to wear clothes.

But if you can get over the oddly claustrophobic – and very damp – nature of the experience, it’s surprisingly soothing. There are six temperature settings ranging from 50-70°C, and just 30 minutes boiling in the bag can unlock similar blood flow-boosting muscle recovery benefits that you get from a spell in an infrared sauna: namely raised heart rate, boosted circulation and blood flow to the skin.

Operating on the same principles as the MiHigh, this sauna blanket uses similar infrared technology to provide deep, penetrating heat to increase blood flow, relieve tired muscles and generally relax your hard-worked body. It comes with eight temperature settings and a wider 20 to 70°C range, so you can fine tune your bake-rate a little more precisely than the MiHigh. Sessions take up to an hour, and unfolded it comes in at 180 x 180cm and around 8.5kg.

£399, uk.mihigh.com

£399, higherdose.com

Portability: ★ ★★ ★★ Ease of use: ★ ★★ ★★ Effectiveness: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★★

Words: Kieran Alger

Portability: ★ ★★ ★★ Ease of use: ★ ★★ ★★ Effectiveness: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★★

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29

IN FOCUS ECCENTRIC TRAINING

Negative

R E S U L T S

30 AUGUST 2021

IN STRENGTH TRAINING, AS IN LIFE, YOU CAN’T EXPERIENCE THE HIGHS WITHOUT A FEW LOWS, AND A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE SUGGESTS ECCENTRIC TRAINING – FOCUSING ON THE LOWERING PHASE OF EACH REP – CAN UNLOCK SOME INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE BENEFITS yms have fully reopened, and many have waved goodbye to grinding out front-room bodyweight workouts. However, if you’ve been revelling in your reunion with the squat rack, it’s time to shake up your pre-pandemic plan. After all, getting stronger relies on two core principles: progressive overload – the principle of increasing demands week on week to continue to see gains – and variety. Fail to mix things up with any form of training and your body will stop responding positively. Variation creates new stimuli, and new stimuli force continual, positive adaptations.

Enter: eccentric strength training.

Although the name suggests a certain flamboyancy, this is a simple method that can allow you to master the basics of strength training if you’re just starting out, or add muscle and break through plateaus if you’re a weights-room regular.

HIDDEN STRENGTH If you’ve performed any resistance exercise before, you will have completed an eccentric movement. Alongside the concentric contraction (the lift phase of an exercise) and isometric hold (generally the highest or lowest point), the lowering (or eccentric) stage makes up the holy trinity of the majority of curls, presses, extensions and squats.

Unlike a standard resistance routine, where the focus is on the concentric pushing or pulling apart, eccentric training shifts the focal point, slowing things down during ‘ the lowering phase – giving your muscles a blitz and leaving you with more DOMS than Barnard Castle.

“Eccentric (also known as ‘negative focus’) training involves tension being applied to a muscle as it lengthens,” says Matthew Dale, personal trainer at Six3Nine. “You’re naturally stronger in that lengthening or eccentric phase, so you still have some capability of being able to at least control or decelerate that load as you lengthen the muscle.”

This ability isn’t just a rumour that gets passed around the weights room, either. A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that, when comparing concentric and eccentric bench-press repetitions to failure, participants were able to perform a higher number of the eccentric reps at various intensities of their one-rep max. It also estimated that the one-rep max of the eccentric phase would be 120 per cent, compared with the concentric equivalent.

That leaves us with two approaches to eccentric training, as explained by Ibi Ekineh, strength and conditioning coach, and co-founder of Onyx London: “There’s one where it’s timed

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IN FOCUS ECCENTRIC TRAINING

retention – where you can really slow down that lowering phase to four or five seconds – while the other type is eccentric overload: loading a weight heavier than your one-rep max, controlling that down slowly, and then having a spotter help you get it back up to the start position.”

MORE MUSCLE FOR LESS While each has its own benefits and disadvantages, both are a great way of adding both strength and size. A British Journal of Sports Medicine review found that, when compared side by side, eccentric training resulted in a greater increase in strength than training concentrically. That’s because the eccentric component of an exercise is the biggest contributor to hypertrophic response, aka muscle growth.

“Eccentric contractions,” says Dale, “specifically target muscles in such a way that they absorb the mechanical energy exerted by the heavy load, before that energy is released via a spring-like action that facilitates the muscular contraction.

Typically, you would perform the concentric portion of a movement quite explosively and powerfully, with a nice squeeze at the top, and then perform the eccentric component in a very deliberately slow and controlled manner, trying to maximise the tension for as long as possible.”

Aside from their muscle-building

32 AUGUST 2021

“ECCENTRIC TRAINING SHIFTS THE FOCAL POINT

BY SLOWING THINGS DOWN DURING THE LOWERING PHASE”

capabilities, the two takes on eccentric training have very different outcomes and uses. The low-and-slow approach allows you to up the difficulty without increasing the load – making it a great way to safely add intensity to your workout. “You can get an equally intense stimulus with a lighter load, too, which should be less fatiguing on your central nervous system,” says Ekineh.

That makes it a popular training method for those undergoing rehab for injuries, because it places less stress on the affected area. “There still might be some delayed onset muscle soreness for the muscle tissues, but it means less stress for joints and ligaments,” adds Dale. The slow-tempo technique can also help with motor control, potentially preventing injuries further down the line. A clinical review published in Sports Health found that eccentric exercise targets specific neural and morphologic (aka form) alterations, with evidence that it improves muscle structure throughout an exercise.

“If you’re trying to improve your squat technique, for example, doing it eccentrically and making sure you hit the right positions in the movement will help with motor control,” says Ekineh, “so when you add

weight or increase the speed, you’re more primed to hit the positions that you’ve already covered.

SENSORY OVERLOAD Overloading eccentric, meanwhile – where you go above and beyond your one-rep max just for the lowering phase of the movement – is very fatiguing on your central nervous system and will see you working at maximal intensity. “I’d only use that to break through the plateau of an exercise you’re very comfortable with and with an experienced spotter,” warns Ekineh. “The idea is that you’re adding a lot more volume on a relatively heavy weight, which will over time allow you to progress in that exercise.”

Techniques include simply loading a bar heavier than you can lift, controlling the lowering phase and getting a spotter (or two) to help you back into the starting position. Alternatively, you can work past your fatiguing point, having a spotter assist you with the concentric phase of another 2-4 reps that you only control down to the bottom. Repeated disclaimer: do not attempt this on your own. Make sure you have an experienced spotter who is able to assist you

DOS & DON’TS

OF ECCENTRIC STRENGTH TRAINING

with the concentric portion of the lift.

Dale reiterates that the overloading method – particularly when using free weights – is an advanced technique that should be saved until you have achieved a solid base in traditional strength training: “If it’s done too early, it could lead to connective tissue damage, which can create long-term injuries.”

But the main downside to both types of eccentric training, that both Dale and Ekineh highlight, is just how fatiguing it is. “In general, eccentric training will likely cause more DOMS,” says Ekineh. “You have to consider how you’re going to implement it into your training programme, because it may affect training sessions later on in the week.”

SLOW IT DOWN Despite the fact that, put simply, it can be really hard work, eccentric strength training can be a highly effective way to add both strength and muscle mass – when used correctly.

“You might want to limit the number of eccentric exercises to no more than one exercise per muscle group per week,” says Dale. “That allows for sufficient recovery, so that when you come to your subsequent workouts that accumulated fatigue hasn’t

affected you to the point where your volume of quality work starts to drop off.”

He recommends starting off with weights somewhere between 70-100 per cent of your maximum manageable weight, and setting a tempo for each eccentric contraction. “The lengthening of muscles during the eccentric phase might be five seconds per rep as a good marker, and when you reach a point where you’re struggling to control it for the duration, that’s probably a good place to stop that working set.”

Keeping the volume low – no more than 3-5 working sets of 3-5 reps – will also be beneficial, because of how fast fatigue

DO

DON’T

Use it for exercises you’re relatively comfortable with and are looking to break through a plateau in.

Use it for the primary exercises, which you’re trying to progress.

Use it if you’re looking to add size.

Use it as a way of improving motor control in new exercises.

Use it as a way of nailing your first pull-up.

Perform eccentric training on free weights without a spotter.

Overuse it with every exercise and every time.

Use it if you’re training for athletic performance – you need to move fast to be fast.

Be tempted to let gravity carry out the eccentric portion of an exercise for you.

Attempt eccentric training until you have built up a good base strength.

can accumulate. When using just your bodyweight, it’s also a good way to build up your abilities with some key core exercises that most beginners struggle with. “A pullup is one you can do yourself without a spotter,” says Ekineh. “You can simply step up and then control yourself down. Many of my clients have been able to progress to conventional pull-ups by building up their strength on the eccentric phase.

So, before you resort to the familiar comfort of another three sets of eight on the bench press, consider freshening things up by slowing them down – your muscles, strength and motivation will all benefit.

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EFFECTIVE ECCENTRIC EXERCISES

IN FOCUS ECCENTRIC TRAINING

34 AUGUST 2021

1. PULL-UP

Focusing on the eccentric phase is an effective way of building up to your first pull-up, or simply increasing the amount of pullups you can do.

Use a step to get into the top position of a pull-up, with your chin above the bar and elbows tucked in.

Lower yourself down as slowly as possible – anything between two to five seconds, depending on how far you are from being able to do a pull-up.

Once your feet are touching the floor, use the step to get back into your starting position.

2. BB BENCH PRESS

This is an overloading eccentric that will help you break through your plateau – but it does require a spotter and for you to be comfortable with the exercise.

Load the bar with a weight slightly heavier than your one-rep max.

Have the spotter help you lift the bar off the rack, before slowly controlling the bar down to your chest.

Get the spotter to help you return the bar up to the starting position.

Do no more than 2 to 3 reps per set.

Not for beginners!

3. BB ROMANIAN DEADLIFT

5. SINGLE-LEG HIP THRUST

4. PISTOL SQUAT

6. SINGLE-ARM ROPE PUSHDOWN

This hamstring builder is one overloading eccentric you can do without a spotter that is less hazardous than other free-weight exercises.

Complete the lifting phase of a standard deadlift, keeping the hips below the shoulders as you stand all the way up.

At the top of the lift, allow a slight bend in the knees and keep your hips as high as you can while you slowly lower the bar to the ground.

Reset and repeat.

This will help to add both strength and size to stubborn triceps muscles that can be hard to grow.

Holding a rope attachment in both hands, pull it to the side of your body.

Take the non-working hand away and fight the resistance as the weight starts to travel back towards the shoulder.

Remember to control your elbow bend during the eccentric phase.

Words: Charlie Allenby | Photography: Getty Images / Onyx London

This is a great unilateral lower-body exercise that really builds single-leg, top-down strength if you can’t do a normal pistol squat.

Start from the top, bringing your hovering leg out in front of you as you lower down the working leg as slowly as you can.

Lightly touch your bum on the bench, then step back up into a standing position using both legs.

Excellent for posterior chain development – think glutes and hamstrings – and those big, powerful hip extensor muscles.

Set your upper back and shoulders on the edge of a bench, chair or sofa, and lift your core so you’ve got a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, and your knees are aligned perfectly over your ankles.

Bring one leg off the floor and up towards your chest.

Focus on lowering down with the grounded leg as slowly as you can, until your hips lightly touch the ground.

Put the hovering leg back down to push up to the top again through both legs.

AUGUST 2021

35

IN FOCUS DON SALADINO

Build

36 AUGUST 2021

Muscle

CELEBRITY PT DON SALADINO HELPS A-LIST ACTORS ACHIEVE SUPERHUMAN PHYSIQUES – HERE HE REVEALS HOW YOU, TOO, CAN BUILD A BODY FIT FOR THE BIG SCREEN on Saladino is the PT to the stars who’s trained the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman to get in superhero shape for their respective Hollywood star turns. While it’s not quite as simple as lift, eat, sleep, repeat, Saladino’s training philosophy is refreshingly succinct, as he explains: “We want to make sure that we have the highest level of movement quality and the highest level of energy, but also to be able to take your shirt off and look like a badass.”

He believes that having a solid foundation of functional movement will pay dividends once you begin your journey to guns of steel. Working on your weaknesses and areas of inflexibility will strengthen your foundation and stop problems occurring on the ‘floors’ above. “The idea isn’t to make the movement quality perfect,” says Saladino, “but to make it good enough to develop a level of resiliency, whether you’re doing your own stunts or just chasing your kids around the backyard.”

GET BANG FOR YOUR BUCK You might think that you need to hammer your pecs and biceps with isolation moves to get your superhero pump on, but Saladino says that by using big, compound moves that recruit as much muscle as possible, growth will come. “Focus on getting stronger,” he says, “using good, high-quality, big-bang-for-your-buck movements. Do this, and as you’re putting on muscle, you will actually improve movement quality, too.”

He adds that the larger muscles in the legs and back should get more volume than the biceps and triceps: “You should still train them, but I don’t think you need to be training them as frequently, because the pushing and pulling through those bigger lifts – like deadlifts and squats – will target your ‘mirror muscles’, too.”

CRANK UP THE CALORIES If there’s one thing that people get wrong when trying to pack on muscle, it’s underestimating how many calories you need to eat every day to support your training. In fact, Saladino says it’s very common to find someone who is always in a calorie deficit, and therefore not even eating enough to maintain the muscle that they do have.

“If there’s not enough protein to build muscle, if there’s not enough carbohydrates for energy, if there’s not enough fat to keep us satiated (which is also good for hormone function) and enough calories to stay

With Liev Schreiber aka Sabertooth in X-Men Origins

Saladino’s strategy: create the highest level of movement quality to look like a badass

Saladino with Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds

AUGUST 2021

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IN FOCUS DON SALADINO

Saladino helped transform Stranger Things’ David Harbour into jacked demon Hellboy

satiated, then we’re always going to be in that deficit,” he says, “and it’s going to be very difficult to put on muscle.”

But if you’re undercooking it by 1,000 calories, say, rather than trying to jump by 1,000 calories immediately, which can be hard on both body and mind, Saladino gets his clients to add 150 extra every week – so that by four weeks into a programme, you’re hitting the right numbers.

SWITCH UP THE REP RANGE Look around any weights room and you’ll notice 8-10 reps is standard practice for most gym-goers. Saladino, though, says you need to shake things up. “I think a big mistake for most people is that they’re always trying to train in that bodybuilding rep range the whole time,” he says. Instead, he looks to continually challenge the muscles with

progressive overload, in order to get stronger over time: “For example, I like to start with a very basic linear periodisation, spending two to three weeks at 15 reps, two to three weeks at 12 reps, two to three three weeks at 8 reps, two to three weeks at 6, then maybe getting down to 4-5 on compound movements.”

Of course, if you are dropping down the rep range to lift heavier, then you will need to get someone to monitor your form and spot you – ask a gym staff member to assist.

Saladino adds that learning to lift heavy will help avoid imbalances and inconsistencies in your movement, too.

RING THE BELL Only got half an hour for a workout, but there’s a queue for the squat rack? Saladino has a quick fix for that: “If there was one piece of equipment I had to choose to be stuck on an island with, it would without a doubt be a kettlebell,” he says. “The reason being it can perform the same functions as a dumbbell, but it’s very useful in high-intensity intervaltraining applications, too.

I could travel with one 28kg kettlebell and do all my strength work: I could

Rocking the red carpet with Emily Blunt

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Blake Lively in some classic gym wear

Don Saladino’s impressive client roster

do Turkish get-ups, I could do arm bars, I could work on mobility, I could work on my cardio. I can get a complete workout in – and it’s very rare you can say that about any one piece of equipment.”

COMMIT BUT BE FLEXIBLE It’s common for people to either not stick with a programme, or try to follow it so rigidly that they doom themselves to not shaping up. To avoid these two extremes, Saladino recommends committing to the plan, while remaining flexible. “Commit to that training programme for a period of time,” he says, “and assess it after a few months. Because if you make five changes in the next two weeks, you’re not going to know what ended up working.”

“Any type of carry is magic. It’s one of the most beneficial movements to the human body” Getting Reynolds Deadpool-ready

to get someone really strong.”

It doesn’t even matter what type: single-rack carry, double-rack carry, double overhead, single overhead, farmer’s walks or suitcase carry – they all work.

He also recommends starting with a realistic number of days of training: three days a week might be better than five if it means you train consistently – and don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. “I think people should stop with this mindset of perfection,” he says. “For example, if on Monday you’re not doing chest and it’s Tuesday now, just push everything back – that’s fine!”

Photography: Shutterstock

CARRY HEAVY STUFF There’s one super-effective move Saladino is amazed everyone isn’t doing. “Any type of carry is magic,” he says. “It’s one of the most beneficial movements to the human body, because it’s essentially a moving plank. You are focusing on creating as much tension in the body as possible while moving, and it’s a great weapon

GET DYNAMIC Saladino says he sees lots of people stretching all the time, because they feel tight, but the problem is often down to stability rather than just flexibility. “Mobility is the combination of flexibility and stability,” he says. “If we clean up the stability, flexibility becomes functional.”

And a great way to improve stability is with dynamic movements. “I’d start at least two workouts a week with something I like to call a jump, a throw and a carry,” says Saladino. The jump could be a vertical jump, a broad jump, a one-legged hop, a matrix jump, a gap jump for height, or a depth jump for distance. Then the throw could be a medicine ball

Core comparison with Captain America: the Winter Soldier star Sebastian Stan

throw with variations such as side throws, overhead throws or ground slams.

“Keep it simple with a jump, throw and a carry for three rounds, and just enough weight to work at 80 per cent,” he adds.

“That allows your body to move, and really primes the nervous system for your strength or power work. It’s a great way to get people feeling more athletic, stronger and more mobile.”

Jumps, throws and carries will keep your training multi-directional, so that you can back up those muscle gains with some superhero athleticism.

ON SALADINO IS AN AMBASSADOR FOR ALO HYDRATION WHICH IS NOW AVAILABLE N THE UK AT HALOHYDRATION.COM

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IN FOCUS WHEN TO TRAIN

T AND U O K R O SHOULD W WILL U U O Y O Y Y R H E W D A W GULAR RE YOU KNO E R A E ’R BUT NEW U , T O I Y T F I U Y O L B L HAVE TO GO A HOPEFU O S W L O A H N A A E C E ID TRAIN U O Y HAVE SOM N E H GGESTS W U S PACT H M C I R T A N A C I RESE A SIGNIF

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AUGUST 2021

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IN FOCUS WHEN TO TRAIN

e all instinctively know whether we’re an owl or a lark: whether we jump out of bed with ease, or groggily hit snooze for the third time. It’s known as our ‘chronotype’, and understanding it can have a profound impact, with research showing that performance variations can be as pronounced as 26 per cent over the course of a day.

“Your chronobiology is mostly genetic,” says Dr Mark Homer, senior lecturer in sport science and sport performance at Buckinghamshire New University. “The two extremes are a lark or an owl, and we all fall somewhere on that spectrum.”

But during summer, when long, bright days mean all options are open, should we stick with what feels natural, or be taking advantage of the light at either end of the day?

“You’ll never post a PB at 7am,” says Dr Homer. “The best time to perform for all of us is mid-afternoon, when our systems – responsive heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature – are all peaking.”

Brendon Gabriel, a research fellow in cardiovascular and diabetes science at The Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen, agrees, and adds that it has an even more pronounced impact outside of endurance exercise. “Resistance and high-intensity exercise are the most susceptible to diurnal

42 AUGUST 2021

rhythms,” he explains. “Daytime peak force is nearly always demonstrated as being highest between 4pm and 8pm, and lowest between 6am and 10am, with a difference of approximately eight per cent.” It’s why, he says, most sporting world records are set later in the day.

GOOD AFTERNOON The reasons we’re firing on all cylinders mid-afternoon are complex. “Our circadian rhythms are maintained partly by a region of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN),” explains Gabriel, “which helps regulate hormones like melatonin which, in

turn, regulate the sleep/wake cycle. Our cells – including muscle cells – also have molecular ‘clocks’, which can maintain a 24-hour cycle, even when removed from the body. Together, these systems maintain our physiological circadian rhythm and may also interact with the time of day we exercise.”

Then there’s the fact that our core body and skeletal muscle temperature peak later in the day.

“Generally, a warmer body and muscles results in higher strength and power capacity,” says Gabriel. Finally, he points to the hormonal rhythms of cortisol, adrenaline and melatonin, which may all influence our

“The researchers found that muscle strength peaked between 2pm and 6pm by as much as six per cent, while joints and muscles were 20 per cent more flexible” response to exercise at different times of the day.

Add to that the simple fact that if you’ve just woken up you’re stiffer, your range of movement is reduced and any workout will feel harder. “You won’t be able to lift as much, and you have the risk of injury when you train with cold muscles and joints that haven’t been fuelled,” says Dr Homer.

That’s supported by work from the University of Texas, which found somewhere between 3pm and 6pm to be optimum for physical performance and cutting risk of injury. The researchers found that muscle strength peaked between 2pm and 6pm by as much as six per cent, while joints and muscles were 20

TIME IT RIGHT

High-performance sports psychologist Chris Shamrock explains how to approach chronobiology from your mind’s POV 1. KNOW YOURSELF

“Work out whether you’re generally a lark or an owl,” says Shamrock, “as that will help you know when your natural energy levels are likely to be supportive of exercise.”

2. BE CURIOUS

“Having worked out whether you’re a lark or an owl, plan your exercise at any time of the day in the knowledge that you can, A: make the exercise feel easier by scheduling for when you know you’ve naturally got more energy; and B: know that you’re going to be finding out what other things help you to have a good session without that natural lift from your body clock.”

3. GROW AS AN ATHLETE

“With this approach, you can focus on finding out how good you can become at having great sessions that are supported by your body clock.

Equally, when you’ve done a great job at the time of day that isn’t your ideal, it can be hugely rewarding.”

per cent more flexible. From a cardiovascular perspective, a study of almost 5,000 people in New York found that lungs function 17.6 per cent more efficiently at 5pm compared with at midday.

FUEL IN THE TANK For years we’ve thought exercising early is the best option for fat burning, but recent science casts some doubts. For example, it’s been found that morning exercise increases the ability of muscle cells to metabolise sugar and fat, whereas working out later keeps that energy expenditure going for hours after exercise. Dr Homer thinks there’s a simple explanation to the fat-burning question: “I’m not convinced that the difference in our fuel usage is due to the time of the day, or just our eating habits,” he says. “If you’re training early in the morning, the chances of you having had a decent meal are much lower; if you’ve eaten at 7pm the night before, then you’ve fasted overnight, your fuel availability will be very different to if you go for a bike ride or lift weights in the mid-afternoon.”

Research that looked at both mice and humans found that exercise performance was substantially better – about 50 per cent on average – in the evening compared with the morning. Interestingly, after evening workouts mice also had higher levels of a metabolite called ZMP – a compound that some athletes use for doping. People in the study had lower oxygen consumption while exercising in the evening compared with the morning, too, making exercise more efficient.

Everything points to the afternoon as our golden time, but many of us can’t clock off in the middle of a workday, so the question is: should we follow our more natural rhythms, or challenge them?

The evidence suggests tuning in to our personal preference and going with it. In a small study, 20 athletes performed an endurance test at six different times of the day: larks performed best in the earlier tests; owls peaked in the evening. Larks saw a seven per cent variation in their performance over the course of the day; for late types it was up to 26 per cent. The researchers agreed

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IN FOCUS WHEN TO TRAIN

that the biggest factor in predicting performance was how long an athlete exercises after they would naturally wake up.

Another study of 375 adults found that the greatest indicator of whether they kept up their exercise regime was timing workouts consistently, suggesting that if we exercise when it suits us and our bodies, we’re more likely to stick with it.

If you’re forced to set the alarm for stupid o’clock, or the only time you can lift weights is pre-work, adjust your expectations.

“Set realistic targets for the time of day,” says Dr Homer. “I know what my morning times and morning heart rates are, so my expectations are reduced if I go out at 6:30am, compared with if I go out at 4pm.”

He continues that there are various ways you can do that for cardio sessions: “If at your peak, for example, you run a mile every eight minutes and your heart rate is 143 bpm, you’re better off running at the correct heart rate and letting the speed be whatever it is for that heart rate. If you don’t have a heart-rate monitor, base it on perceived levels of effort: if you want to go out for a five-out-of-teneffort run, you’ll get the same benefit, it’s just that you’ll be a bit slower at 6am, and a little bit faster at tea time.”

That same theory applies to weights sessions: save particularly gruelling workouts

for your optimum time, somewhere in that sweet spot between 3pm and 6pm. “Save your high-intensity sessions – the ones that require real motivation – for for the time when your heart rate matches your speed,” says Dr Homer. “And save your long and slow, steady sessions for early mornings.”

REST IS BEST The only time you genuinely need to go against your chronotype by choice, rather than thanks to your schedule, is if you’re gearing up for an event. “If you’re preparing for a morning race, you want to do a lot of your preparation at race time, so you’re able to perform,” says Homer.

And if you’re markedly sloth-like first thing, help your body. “Studies show what we all probably know,” adds Gabriel, “that caffeine and listening to music can help us perform better in the morning.” Light exposure is key, too. “One study showed that a weekend of camping with exposure to mainly natural light was able to rapidly reset people’s chronotypes,” says Gabriel. “Most people will eventually adjust, and may even find their chronotype has slightly shifted.”

Again, there’s a caveat: both experts agree that if forcing our chronotype is impacting our ability to sleep, that’s too big a sacrifice.

“There are all these recovery tools and If possible, slow-andsteady workouts are best saved for early mornings, while strength tends to peak between 3-6pm

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RISE & SHINE

If you’ve got to get up early, use the tools at your disposal to make it easier 1. OPEN THE CURTAINS

Light is the strongest synchronising agent for the circadian system, so as soon as you can, throw the curtains open and let your eyes drink in that light.

2. EAT UP

“Get some food and drink in you straight away – including caffeine,” says Dr Homer. “Light, food and caffeine are all triggers that set your physiological systems to wake-up mode.”

3. RECOVER RIGHT

Words: Laura Potter | Photography: Getty Images

“After an early session,” says Gabriel, “make sure your next few sleeps are good quality, and consume some high-quality nutrients within a few hours of the training session.”

tricks, from foam rollers to ice baths and compression socks,” says Dr Homer, “but if you’re not getting seven or eight hours of sleep a night, you can forget all of that stuff, because that’s when your body will do the majority of its repair. If you are exercising at either end of the day, think about how to ensure you get that consistent eight hours.”

Reassuringly, a recent (admittedly small) piece of Australian research found that 30 minutes of high-intensity exercise performed in the early evening doesn’t negatively affect subsequent sleep. Participants did six one-minute maximal intensity sprints on stationary bikes, interspersed by four-minute rests in the morning, afternoon and evening.

Evening exercise didn’t negatively impact sleep, while afternoon and evening sessions reduced the hunger hormone ghrelin more than morning workouts – plus the power output during the sprint efforts was higher for the afternoon and evening trials.

If you struggle to drop off after exercising in the evening, Dr Homer suggests the usual solutions: avoiding caffeine and keeping meals light. If you’re forcing yourself up, he suggests waking up and going to bed at similar times.

“If you’re exercising early four days a week, still get up fairly early on days five, six and seven,” he advises. “Use that time to do something else, but don’t burn the candle at both ends.”Also, don’t exercise hard one

evening, then set the alarm to do some more the next morning.

All things considered, mid-afternoon is the optimum time to put in a tough session.

However, when that isn’t possible, tune in to your body. “Work out when you’re best, and what your responses are like when you’re not,” says Dr Homer, “because if you have to exercise at 6am but you aim for your afternoon accomplishments, you’ll soon burn out.”

As more companies embracing a flexible approach to work, you may be able to negotiate a 30-minute break at 3pm. If that’s not possible, though, train when you can, and savour the days when you get to make the most of that golden window.

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IN FOCUS BEST GYM CLASSES

BEST IN CLASS

THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF FITNESS CLASSES PREPARED TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH THEY’LL MAKE YOU HURT, SWEAT OR SMILE, BUT WHICH ONES WILL ACTUALLY ENSURE RESULTS? MF ROUNDS UP THE BEST FOR ANY GOAL YARD WORK BEST FOR…

STRENGTH

The Manor, London

Concrete. Metal. Sweat. OK, the Manor’s signature gym session sounds a tiny bit like prison, but then it’s designed to get trainees comfortable with the uncomfortable, pushing its participants with a blend of sled-pushing, tyre-flipping and load-carrying that’s designed to be manageable – if brutally difficult – for everyone.

BENEFITS: Grit / Strength-endurance /

Athleticism / Fat-loss mymanor.london

SPARTAN BARBELL CLUB

Spartan Performance, Consett

Deadlift. Squat. Press.

Row. Learning good technique for the basic barbell lifts is an investment that will pay off for the rest of your fitness career, and there aren’t many better teachers than Spartan Performance, run by Natural Strongman Champ Jack Lovett.

Chalk up, get strong nd learn the basic iomechanics of moves very gym-goer should now.

HENCH

Hench, Belfast

With a coaching team experienced in powerlifting, you’d expect this Belfast-based gym to prioritise big lifts – and they’re clearly good at it, with everyone from Hafthor Bjornsson and deadlift legend Benedikt Magnusson dropping in to teach or train. This session aims to improve grip, core and postural strength through a variety of loaded carries, sled drags and pushes, and animal movements.

BENEFITS: Muscle / Camaraderie hench.io

ENEFITS: Absolute strength

Technique / Confidence n the gym floor

partanperformance.co.uk

AUGUST 2021

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IN FOCUS BEST GYM CLASSES

THE BARBELL PROJECT

AGT X NIKE

Power Athletics, Caerphilly

Fitness First, various locations

Learning the power lifts (back squat, bench and deadlift) and Olympic lifts (snatch, clean and jerk) can be intimidating, and programming for them – in a smart way that includes planned progression – is even harder. That’s why it makes sense to hand things over to the professionals with a class like this one. You’ll work in week-long phases to familiarise yourself before you really start pushing things.

For this collaborative effort, FF’s standout HIIT session focuses on maximising athleticism with a blend of agility drills and metabolic conditioning circuits, taking place on the gym floor track so there’s plenty of space for carrying and sprinting.

Dumbbells, kettlebells, box jumps and sleds ensure that no class is the same as the one before, meaning there’s always something to test you.

BENEFITS: Agility / Speed / Power

BENEFITS: Technique / Strength / Explosiveness powerathleticscaerphilly.com

Power Up

Build athleticism with this explosive workout

1. BOX JUMP

(4 sets x 3 reps) • Simple: jump onto a box • Emphasise height, rather than using hip flexibility to get away with it.

2. POWER CLEAN TO PUSH PRESS

60% of your one-rep max (3 sets x 4 reps) • For the clean, drive through your heels and catch the bar at your chest.

• Do 3 reps, then dip and drive into a push press for 2 reps.

• Rest and repeat.

3. BACK SQUAT

70% of your 1RM (3 sets x 5 reps) • Emphasise good form and squat through your heels.

4. SUPINE HAMSTRING HOLD

(3 sets x 10 secs each leg) • Lie on the floor with your feet on a bench, then straighten your whole body using the strength of your hamstring.

• Do one leg at a time.

5. ACTIVE DEAD-HANG

(4 sets x 30 secs) • Hang from a bar, pulling down slightly so your shoulders are away from your ears.

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BEST FOR…

PRIMAL STRENGTH

MUSCLE

Primal Gym, Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s Primal Fitness is big on bodyweight-based performance – featuring obstacle-race and Ninja Warriorstyle gear, as well as adult gymnastics classes – but its strength-based calisthenics class focuses on some of the most challenging moves in fitness, building up from the basics to moves like the dragon flag, muscle-up and onearmed chin-up. You might never get to that last one, but the joy’s in the journey…

BENEFITS: Proprioception / Coordination / Core strength

dwfitnessfirst.com

primalgym.co.uk

MTS30

CrossFit MTS, Edinburgh

There are CrossFit gyms hiding on industrial parks and under railway arches all around the UK, but CrossFit MTS is one of the most enduring, offering a blend of WODs and top-class coaching for the man in need of a better ‘Fran’ time. MTS30 is their get-it-done class: a 30-minute blend of bodyweight moves, gymnastics and lightweight lifting designed to energise you for the day rather than leaving you on the floor.

BENEFITS: Full-body / Time-saving / Variety crossfitmts.co.uk

UFC FUNCTIONAL FITNESS UFC Gym, Nottingham

There’s plenty of scrapping on offer at the UK’s first UFC gym, but for noncontact physical conditioning its functional training class is the pound-for-pound champ, offering a blend of TRX training, high-intensity intervals and bodyweight moves designed to pack on lean, functional muscle.

BENEFITS: Fighting fitness / Agility / Joint health ufcgym.co.uk

Advanced Calisthenics can you complete this circuit devised by Primal Strength mastermind Paddy McIntyre?

1. ‘SKIN THE CAT’ (45 secs on, 15 secs rest) • Holding the bar, kick your legs through your hands, then lower towards the floor to feel a stretch in your shoulders.

• Reverse the whole movement, then repeat.

2. DRAGON FLAG (45 secs on, 15 secs rest) • Holding onto a weight (or rack) on the floor, bring your entire body vertically into the air, then lower slowly.

• Too hard? Tuck your legs, or extend one at a time.

3. UPSIDE-DOWN DEADLIFTS (45 secs on, 15 secs rest) • Holding a bar, turn upside down and, keeping your legs vertical, lower yourself until your back’s parallel to the floor, then bring yourself vertical again.

4. AUSTRALIAN PULL-UPS (45 secs on, 15 secs rest) • Holding a low bar with your feet on the floor, pull up until your chest touches the bar, lower, then repeat.

BEST FOR…

FAT LOSS

CLIMB YOUR WAY TO BIGGER ARMS

CLIMB TO THE BEAT! BXR, London

If you’re unacquainted, the Versaclimber mimics the ‘natural’ motion of clambering up a near-vertical cliff (or ladder), taxing your lungs, heart and limbs to maximum while keeping impact non-existent. This session, designed to see just how high you can climb, isn’t for the first-timer – think of it as a stern challenge that comes with bragging rights as standard. One for the upwardly mobile.

BENEFITS: Low-impact / Cardio fitness bxrlondon.com

ORANGETHEORY

OrangeTheory Fitness, various locations

One for the science-minded (and competitive) gent, OrangeTheory’s fitnesstracking tech displays your heart rate and performance data in real time, allowing you to theoretically keep yourself in the fat-burning ‘orange zone’... but also, er, to compare yourself to everyone else as you sprint, row and suspension-trainer yourself into shape.

BENEFITS: Competitive spirit / Recovery orangetheoryfitness.co.uk

Versaclimber looking neglected in the corner of your gym? Use the ‘underarm pull’, as explained by Alex Nicholl, director at Sweat by BXR, to hit your biceps and lats hard

FORMULA 3

Third Space, London

All-round fitness means targeting different energy systems – after all, there’s no point being able to tackle a 26-miler if you can’t chase down a bus. This Third Space class hits a key triumvirate of them, aiming to improve your speed, strength and endurance with a blend of rowing, squatting, swinging and high-intensity movement. Vrrroom!

BENEFITS: Speed / Endurance / Energy thirdspace.london

- Standing tall on the Versaclimber, turn your palms to face in towards you, with knuckles facing up.

- Start with short strides and ensure the engagement of the arms by starting to pull down as you stride – rather than pushing down with your legs.

- When you’re ready, reach up and pull the handles down, taking the weight of the exercise (resting the legs). Pull in tight so your elbow comes as low as possible before moving to the other arm.

KOR ULTIMATE

KOR, Manchester

Burning 1,000 calories in 45 minutes isn’t going to be easy – or pleasant – but anyone up for a stiff challenge can crank their metabolism into high gear with a mixture of sprints, slams and seemingly-endless burpees in KOR’s nightclub-style environment. Plan to sweat. Lots.

BENEFITS: Full-bore calorie-burning / Pain tolerance madebykor.co.uk

After 45 secs, return to short strides and get your heart rate down. After 15 secs go again, ensuring your full effort for the entire 45 secs.

- Keep going for 4 mins.

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IN FOCUS BEST GYM CLASSES

YOGA FOR LIFTING

Gymbox, London

BEST FOR…

MOBILITY

There are (at least) 40 flavours of yoga competing for your attention, but this one’s specifically designed to improve mobility in your shoulders, lower back and hips – letting you hit bigger numbers on moves like the squat and Olympic lifts, and ultimately making you stronger and healthier. Strength, stability and flexibility. What’s not to like?

BENEFITS: Mobility / Injury-proofing / Isometric strength gymbox.com

Mermaid Conditioning

Gymbox Master Trainer Dyl Salamon offers up two bangfor-your-buck moves to add to your cooldown

1. MERMAID POSE “Don’t let the graceful name fool you,” says Salamon, “because trying to get into this pose is never smooth. This is a glute, hip flexor and quad stretch that will unlock a human’s hips like no other.”

• Starting in the better known pigeon stretch, engage your back hamstring to lift your leg in the air.

• Then grab the foot with the same hand, and pull it towards your bum, creating an intense quad stretch.

2. HORSE SQUAT “This is an unbelievable strengthener for the whole glute family and back extensors, while opening the groin – perfect for any athletes and lifters who want stability and explosiveness.”

• Hold a yoga strap or pole above your head, like an overhead squat.

• Step your feet out wider than your mat, point the toes out 45 degrees and sit backwards into a wide squat.

• Press the knees out as far as possible, while keeping the spine vertical.

• Sit isometrically for 20 breaths – or about 90 secs – and feel the epic burn.

BATTLEBOX

BARREEXPRESS

Can you really call yourself functionally fit if you’ve never tried the ‘Salmon Ladder’ or ‘Jumping Spider’? Of course not, so get yourself to the UK’s most stacked Ninja Training Ground and hone your coordination, proprioception and parkour with the help of Ninja Warrior veteran Dion Trigg. ‘Warped Walls’, ‘Devil Steps’ and the country’s tallest ‘Jumping Spider’ mean you’ll work everything from your first-step sprinting ability to your core strength.

Taking your workouts outside occasionally is a good idea – apart from vitamin D from the sun, there’s evidence that looking at greenery for a couple of hours a week can combat depression. The trouble with traditional bootcamp classes is that they’re often a bit light on kit, but David Lloyd has fixed that with Battlebox, which combines sleds, weights and an elaborate metal rig to clamber on, providing plenty of challenge as you enjoy (or brave) the British weather.

Sure, a ballet-based workout with bands and balls sounds a lot easier than 10 sets of heavy squats, but just try to keep up that facade after your third set of leg-trembling isometrics.

You’ll expose your own weaknesses, hit neglected areas like your core and glutes, and build stability in positions you’ve never even attempted before.

Leotards optional.

BENEFITS: Obstacle racing prowess /

BENEFITS: Teamwork / Endorphins /

BENEFITS: Glute strength / Isometric

Instagrammability

Sunshine / Grip strength

facebook.com/truefunctionuk

gymbox.com

barrecorre.co.uk

NINJA TRAINING

True Function, Swindon

50 AUGUST 2021

David Lloyd, various locations

BarreCorre, various locations

strength / Ab work

BEST FOR…

ENDURANCE BARRY’S BOOTCAMP

Barry’s Bootcamp, London

Barry’s doesn’t offer many options, but its signature workout – a blend of treadmill runs and weights – is carefully calibrated to wring every drop of effort out of you, with booming playlists and red neon combining for an experience that’s a bit like being in the 90s version of Blade. FYI: the smoothies are worth earning.

BENEFITS: Camaraderie

/ Metabolic conditioning

barrysbootcamp.com

GA1N

V1BE, Manchester

For the chap who prefers casein to cocktails, Manchester’s V1BE gym offers a Friday night experience that you won’t regret the morning after – think loud music, intense intervals and, err, the occasional live sax performance. Most classes incorporate a hefty amount of treadmill sprints, but GA1N includes plenty of upperbody work as well, making it ideal for anyone looking to build and burn.

BENEFITS: Stress relief / Endorphins /

Lean muscle

Words: Joel Snape

v1be.com

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

Something piqued your interest? If you fancy getting into the grind before you invest, it might be worth taking out a ClassPass membership – you can try up to four classes in a 14-day free trial, so hit up everything in the area to see what makes you tick. classpass.com

GO ROW

Bristol Ariel Rowing Club, Bristol

RUMBLE

1Rebel, London

There’s something very primal and satisfying about thwacking a punchbag as hard as you can.

Something that inspires you to give your best effort, or at least flail away until your arms are limp and your lungs are burning. Rumble incorporates all of that, but then mixes it with footwork and other S&C drills to teach you the basics of boxing while you’re sweating.

Is rowing the new, improved spinning? It’s arguably more unpleasant, better for your upper body, and might do something to redress all the hunching forward you do over your desk. More and more gyms are offering classes, but a real rowing club will nail your technique – and give you a chance to venture onto the water once you’ve logged a decent 2K time.

BENEFITS: Grit / Endurance / Pain

tolerance

bristolarielrowingclub.co.uk

BENEFITS: Punching power / Footwork 1rebel.co.uk

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Photography: Shutterstock

IN FOCUS MUAY THAI

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THE

T R A OF T H G EI BS M I L

CLE. A T C E NG SP I L L I R A TH S I NING I A O I H T I T D Y S AT UA ON K C M O , D T O N L H FLIG ESS A LECK L N L D T I I U F V F A S IN ED IN IT .D , P L E E A I E C I T T T S N C LINE BSTA P U I IN PRA S C E S I R ITS A OLD D OBAL S E I R BENEF CENTU RE WENT GL A W HO LTU U C R O WARRI

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Former world champion Jonathan Haggerty lands a kick to the head of his opponent in a ONE Championship bout

IN FOCUS MUAY THAI

MAKING THE GRADE In a 28-fight career (21 of which were wins), Rory Crawford secured an English title in K1 (the main difference being the absence of elbow striking), as well as British and European belts. Having retired from the ring, he’s now a fight trainer – working with Bernise Aldiss, one of the few Brits to hold a WBC Muay Thai world title – and show promoter.

“Physically, I think Muay Thai is right up there,” he tells MF. “Looking back to the early days of my training as a teenager, I remember thinking how tough it was, but the sense of achievement I got after every session came with an addictive buzz. Saying that, I’ve seen amazingly fit guys not do as well as you might think, because they just don’t have that extra bit of mental toughness.”

PUNCHING UP Where, though, does the UK stand in the global Muay Thai league?

ORIGIN STORY

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In its original form, Muay Thai was deployed on the battlefield at a time when hand-to-hand combat was the standard defence (and attack) against the enemy. Its roots are believed to date back 600 years or more. Recognition increased in the 20th century and, when Muay Thai practitioners started defeating notable figures from other martial arts, the world began taking notice. Its rise in popularity outside of its homeland – both as a competitive sport and a firstclass physical conditioning pursuit – has resulted in the growth of an ancient discipline that keeps being touted for inclusion in the Olympic Games, although that recognition appears a slow process.

Photography: ONE Championship/Dux Carvajal

negligible – few even knew what Muay Thai was, shows were in their infancy and televised events were but a dream for those passionate about bringing it to a wider audience. “It was MMA, in my mind, that took Muay Thai centre stage,” he says.

“Television followed, as did fight promotions such as One Championship, Thai Fight and Muay Thai Grand Prix. They truly raised the game and established themselves as respected global brands.”

Photography: Shutterstock

wasn’t the most obvious new student when I first rocked up to try my hand (and elbows, legs and knees) at Muay Thai. My physical prime was sailing by and, aside from being a consistent gym bunny, my exercise regime was decidedly vanilla.

But walking by a training camp on the island of Koh Samui one afternoon, hearing the sound of fists striking gloves, legs jettisoned skyward and the smell of Tiger Balm dribbling through the stifling tropical heat, I thought, I’ll have some of that.

Maybe it was the holiday bravado, but when I went back the following day for the two-hour class, it was one of the smartest things I ever did for my physical and mental health. And I’m clearly not alone, given the burgeoning appeal of Muay Thai: Thailand’s national sport and a centuries-old discipline steeped in warrior culture and the utmost respect for both trainer and opponent.

Alan Keddle is a legend of UK Muay Thai, with more than 30 world titles in different martial arts. As such, there are few better placed to reflect on the rise of the sport over the past 20 years.

“When I started in 1991, gyms were rare and the majority were part-time,” he says, adding that the appeal was

“I think for a country our size, we’re definitely in the top five in producing world-class fighters,” says Keddle, “and many Brits are working their way to the top in One Championship.”

That talent pool is led by people like 24-year-old Jonathan Haggerty, former world champion and widely regarded as the best we have, alongside enduring veteran Liam Harrison, and the man who took his UK number-one spot in 2018, Charlie Peters.

Crawford, who now promotes shows under the Combat Fight Series banner, agrees: “I think we have great talent and have always had a decent reputation in Muay Thai. And now with set-piece shows, the

“I remember thinking how tough it was, but the sense of achievement I got after every session came with an addictive buzz” UK is becoming more recognised. I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of one of the best gyms in the UK and have seen amazing talent walk through the door. When it comes to spotting it, I think you just know. Having said that, without the work, talent will only take you so far.”

It’s a view endorsed by Keddle: “If someone comes to me and wants to compete, of course they’ll need talent I can work with, as well as dedication and – most

importantly – power. And I’ll expect sacrifices. Without all of that, they’re wasting their time and mine.”

TALENT SPOTTING It’s a tough, no-nonsense approach you’d fully expect from someone of his vast experience, but what happens when that elusive spark does turn up at his gym?

“Well, take Jon Haggerty. He’s been with me since he was 11 or 12 and I suspected he

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IN FOCUS MUAY THAI

Photography: ONE Championship/Dux Carvajal

Jonathan Haggerty is one of the hottest prospects in British Muay Thai

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WARRIOR TRAINING

Multiple world champion Alan Keddle’s guide to Muay Thai conditioning

Photography: Muay Thai Grand Prix

HIT THE ROAD

It’s not fitness rocket science, but running is a staple of the Muay Thai practitioner’s cardio armoury – and it should be part of yours, too.

GRAB THE ROPE

Charlie Peters (right) strikes a blow in the Muay Thai Grand Prix

had all the tools in his armoury right from the get-go. And I wasn’t wrong. He had three world titles by the time he was 22 and is one of Britain’s highest paid [Muay Thai] fighters.”

Haggerty, who’s not yet hit his 25th birthday, has certainly carved out quite a career for himself. Just three losses in eighteen bouts – all to the best Thailand has to offer – clearly marks him out as one of the premier fighters. “I started training when I was seven,” he says. “My dad was an MMA fighter and I thought I’d follow in his footsteps, but then I met Alan Keddle, discovered Muay Thai and fell in love with it.”

His fighting style is typified by a captivating presence and a razor-sharp reading of both opponent and situation.

No surprise, then, that he considers his best win to have been a career-defining victory against th hi hl d Th i fi h S A

Rory Crawford with trainer Kieran Keddle

to have around a five per cent chance of beating him,” he says, “but I did, taking the One Championship flyweight world title.”

With the highs of top-level sport, though, come the inevitable lows, and he’s as hard on himself about losing that title as you’d expect of anyone at the pinnacle of their game: “I was absolutely devastated when I lost my title to Rodtang Jitmuangnon. He’s about my age and many consider him the most feared opponent in Muay Thai. But, at this level, you have to pick yourself up and fight your way back, mentally even more so than physically.”

BROADENING APPEAL But what about the more generic attraction of Muay Thai, away from those competing at the coalface?

“There’s a common misconception this ghters,” says Crawford, “but t’s far from the truth. Muay ai is fantastic for overall fitness , although they might seem midating places from the side, most boxing and rtial arts gyms are incredibly portive and nurturing places.”

Charlie Peters, meanwhile he reigning UK welterweight ber one – says the benefits uay Thai transcends ess stereotypes: “Muay Thai is a first-class, body workout and short, ense rounds on the pads ke for excellent HIIT ning. It builds flexibility, king pads is a great ss buster, and mastering n the fundamentals of -defence is excellent for lding confidence.”

Another key component is skipping. Aim for five minutes as part of a warm-up. Or extend that to ten to 15 with pauses for 20-rep sets of squats, press-ups and burpees.

CAST A SHADOW

Shadow boxing is not just essential for warming up, it’s also key to both learning and spotting flaws in your technique. It’s the ideal way to emulate and hone your moves, without the impact.

PUSH POWER

The push kick (‘teep’) is the move that can disrupt your opponent’s flow and prevent them getting too close. Ideally, you’d do it with a punch bag, but you can practise without. Hold your hand by your ear (palm facing) and push kick with the opposite leg, then swap and repeat (aim for 25 per leg as a starter).

PARTNER UP

It’s not for the beginner, but once you’ve mastered the basics, sparring is a great way to learn technique, develop skills and build combat confidence.

STAY FLEXIBLE

It should go without saying, but stretching and mobility work should never be neglected.

Do ten minutes at the end of every session.

STAY STRONG

Deadlifts, pull-ups, front squats, and single-arm push press are all examples of essential exercises for building the strength and power you’ll need for those jabs, hooks and teeps. Bodyweight exercises and functional strength training should also be part of your Muay Thai training repertoire. And you’ll need those legs to stay sturdy, so learn to love the box jump.

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IN FOCUS BEN STROKES

“PHYSICAL PREP IS AS IMPORTANT

BATTING

AS

OR BOWLING

PRACTICE”

E N G L A N D C R I C K E T ’ S S TA R M A N B E N S TO K E S R E V E A L S H O W A RENEWED RESPECT FOR FITNESS TO O K H I M TO T H E P I N N A C L E O F HIS SPORT

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IN FOCUS BEN STROKES

B

en Stokes has revolutionised the game of cricket with strength, stamina and a handy ability to play legacy-defining innings in the biggest games of all. A crowd-pleasing star in all formats of the game, at time of writing the 30-year-old has already knocked up 4,631 runs and 163 wickets in Test cricket, 2,817 runs and 74 wickets in one-day internationals, and 442 runs and 19 wickets in Twenty20. His most iconic performances came in the space of a few halcyon months in the summer of 2019, when he hit a stunning 84 not out to help England clinch the Cricket World Cup, before his four wickets and 135 not out helped England salvage the fourth Ashes Test at Headingley.

Having already became the highest-paid overseas player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), and being crowned the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World in both 2020 and 2021, Stokes is now set for his next big challenge: representing Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, an exciting new 100-ball competition starting this summer.

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Men’s Fitness: What’s the secret to your incredible success in recent years?

Ben Stokes: Fitness is so important for me, especially with the amount of cricket that we play nowadays. It just seems to be a constant wheel that’s turning, especially being an all-formats player. So improving my fitness levels has really helped, not just for my performances, but also for making sure I’m available for as many games as possible.

The physical aspect of cricket has changed a lot over the last 20 years, which is why the fitness levels around the game have had to improve so much.

MF: How has your view of fitness changed?

BS: When I do fitness or physical preparation before a game, I now put that in the same category as going in and bowling, or going out and having a bat. If I go to a game without having a bat or a bowl, I won’t feel like I’m properly prepared. And it’s now the same with the physical side of things: if I haven’t worked on the physical aspect of my game, I don’t feel ready.

Interview: Mark Bailey | Photography: The Hundred

MF: How has your personal fitness regime evolved with age?

BS: The secret is about identifying what needs to be done. Your body changes a lot with how much cricket we play, because there’s a lot of stress placed upon it. So I always adapt and change what I do. For example, to help my back I do Romanian deadlifts, leg presses and a short, sharp core circuit, which I do three times over. I also do shoulder work, because my shoulder got quite bad. I couldn’t really throw at one point, but managed to get that strength back.

MF: How important is good nutrition to fuel your performances?

BS: Nutrition is a massive part of what we do on the field. If we don’t put the right fuel into our tanks, we’re not going to get the results we require. We need carbs and everything like that, which is so well managed by the team who are in charge, like the nutritionist and the strength and conditioning coach. On the morning of a match I tend to have eggs and bacon, with a big bowl of porridge.

MF: Any cricket grounds stand out on the food front?

BS: Lords is always the best! Sundays, in particular, are always good. On our travels,

Photography: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Stokes celebrates dragging England to an epic Ashes-saving win in the third Ashes Test in 2019

the Caribbean is especially good, too – the flavours out there are amazing. And South Africa is great for food choices. We are pretty spoilt wherever we go.

MF: What kind of cardio do you focus on?

BS: I only do short sprints. Going out and running 10k isn’t going to do me any favours whatsoever on a cricket field, so what I do is more comparable to what we do in the field. I try to make sure everything I do has relatable reasons.

MF: Do you train together as a group?

BS: No, it’s very individual the way we do our fitness training. We don’t get together as a full squad and go, “Right, lads, let’s have a fitness session.” We responded a lot better to being given the responsibility to look after our own fitness, as opposed to just getting together and getting beasted by the strength coach. If you spend a week or two around the dressing room, you would see everyone go off and do fitness whenever they can. It is very individual. Some guys do swimming and pilates and things like that.

MF: Are there any players you look up to?

BS: Jimmy Anderson is the one who springs to mind. If you’re 38 years old, and you are still doing what he is doing, you know a lot of off-field stuff has contributed to that.

What he does fitness-wise and nutritionally, he does very, very well. And that’s why he is still able to do what he does.

MF: How do you relax away from the pressures of the game?

BS: I now appreciate the time I have away from cricket a lot more – especially with how the world is at the moment. So when I’m at home, I’m at home. Before this, when I was at home I was constantly thinking

about cricket. But now, because I don’t get to spend that much time at home, I use that opportunity to just get away from it all and live. I now appreciate the normal things in life, like being a dad and taking the kids to school. I never used to be like that.

BEN STOKES WILL BE PLAYING FOR NORTHERN SUPERCHARGERS IN THIS SUMMER’S THE HUNDRED, THE NEW 100-BALL CRICKET COMPETITION. VISIT THEHUNDRED.COM

THE HUNDRED

All you need to know about this exciting new 100-ball competition Features eight city-based teams who have both men’s and women’s squads: London Spirit, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Birmingham Phoenix, Oval Invincibles, Southern Brave, Trent Rockets and Welsh Fire.

Each game lasts just 100 balls per innings.

Whichever team scores the most runs, wins.

Unlike other formats of the game, the fielding side change ends after ten balls (not six), and bowlers can deliver either five or ten consecutive balls, up to a maximum of 20 per game.

Each squad consists of 15 players, with three overseas stars.

The matches are expected to be more explosive and exciting than even Twenty20 (20-over games) and will last no more than two and a half hours.

The first season runs from 21 July to 21 August 2021.

Each team will play four matches at home and four matches away, playing every team once and their local rival twice.

Following a semi-final between the second and third ranked teams, the winner of that match will face the table-topping team to decide the champion.

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SNAP OUT OF IT

IN FOCUS HARMFUL HABITS

S TAY AWA R E O F T H E S E P OT E N T I A L LY H A R M F U L E V E RY DAY B E H AV I O U R S TO P R O T E C T Y O U R M E N T A L H E A LT H

Habits are automatic modes of behaviour driven by deeply ingrained neurological patterns. They are the things we do again and again, with little to no awareness around how they can impact the bigger picture.

Healthy habits, therefore, are incredibly powerful tools that allow you to benefit both body and mind without any conscious effort. However, on the flip side, when you pick up unhealthy habits they can be difficult to stop, because you’re not always even aware that you’re doing them.

“There seems to be a growing awareness of how bad habits can affect our physical health, but people are less in the know about everyday, unconscious habits that could be having a negative impact on mental wellbeing,” says Dr Emeka Okorocha. “Changing the pattern, or breaking these unknowingly harmful habits, can have a hugely positive effect, so it’s time to sit up and take note if you’re guilty of any of the following…”

1. OVERUSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Most of us are guilty of it from time to time, but consistently clocking up the hours on Instagram et al. is a surefire way to promote anxiety and low self-esteem, especially if you’re constantly comparing yourself to others.

“Mental health issues from social media have been noted from several different cases and studies,” says Dr Emeka, “with research showing that 30 per cent of people who use two forms of social media for a number of hours a day find it makes them feel lonely.”

BREAK THE HABIT Finding a way to control your social media use is essential, and tech can be the solution as well as the problem. “iPhones now have a great feature that means you can set timers for each app,” says Dr Emeka. “By setting a limit on certain apps, such as Instagram and Twitter, to just two hours a day, you have a quick and easy way to improve your sense of wellbeing.”

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IN FOCUS HARMFUL HABITS

3. OVERTHINKING

We all do it, and often we’re completely oblivious to it, but overthinking is both unhealthy and unhelpful.

“Overthinking,” explains Dr Emeka, “refers to paying too much attention to opportunities you haven’t taken, feelings of regret, or finding yourself anxious and worrying about future tasks you haven’t completed (bills you haven’t paid, relationships you need to work on, etc).

These sorts of thoughts can really impact mental health and heighten the anxiety you feel on a day-to-day basis.

However, overthinking is one of the hardest habits to change.”

BREAK THE HABIT To prevent overthinking, it can help to see your thoughts in front of you – that way you realise they are just a thought, and you’re less likely to spiral.

“My advice is to write your thoughts down in a journal, or even on your phone,” says Dr Emeka. “This will help you to rationalise your and prevent the thoughts from becoming overly destructive.”

2. POOR SLEEP

Overuse of social media can be linked to another bad habit that can impact your mental health: poor sleep.

“Sleep is a source of physical and emotional resilience,” says Dr Emeka.

“By improving your sleep, you can improve your mood, as well as your natural physical and mental health.”

Poor sleep will affect just about every facet of your life: from performance in the gym, to productivity at work. A wealth of research also links poor sleep to depression, anxiety, and a number of mental health disorders.

BREAK THE HABIT It’s a simple solution, but one that works: stop staring at screens before bed.

“Due to the constant access we have to screens, it can be hard to switch them off,” says Dr Emeka, “but spending as little has 30 minutes away from them before you plan to fall asleep can greatly improve your sleep – and your general mood.”

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4. LACK OF EXERCISE

Maintaining physical fitness is about far more than running faster, looking better, or lifting more; the benefits extend well beyond performance or aesthetics.

“Many people think exercise is just for physical health,” says Dr Emeka.

“But it has hugely positive effects on mental health, too – and a lack of it is likely to have a negative impact on how you feel.”

We know that regular exercise may ease depression by releasing endorphins and feel-good chemicals, and dedicating just a small part of your day to it can be incredibly beneficial.

BREAK THE HABIT ‘Snacking’ on smalls chunks of exercise during the day can reverse the health damage caused by a desk-based lifestyle. According to a paper in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, subjects who did just three 20-second bike sprints, three times per day, for three days per week, enjoyed a nine per cent gain in cardiorespiratory fitness.

Dr Oliver Perkin, an exercise physiology researcher at the University of Bath, believes this kind of exercise is a smart way to combat the sedentary lifestyles caused by desk jobs and lockdowns: “Our research on exercise snacking suggests that it is a potentially useful strategy to fit very short bouts of exercise in a couple of times a day, so it may be a good way to break up extended periods of time spent being sedentary.”

5. BEING OVERLY NEGATIVE

Illustrations: Getty Images

“Another habit that many of us have, which may be harming our mental health, is constantly complaining, and looking at the glass as half empty instead of half full,” says Dr Emeka.

“Perception can be changed by a number of things, such as the things we watch (like the news), how we consume media, and the things we read.”

BREAK THE HABIT For a start, if news headlines and media coverage is making you sad, angry or anxious, do your best to limit consumption. That’s easier said than done – especially given the year and a bit we’ve had – but turning off push notifications and reducing screen time are just a couple of quick fixes.

“Waking up with gratitude has also been shown to have positive effects on mental health,” adds Dr Emeka.

One simple exercise is to say – out loud – three things you are grateful for every single day. They can be big things (family, friends, food, shelter), or small seemingly inconsequential daily occurrences, like the coffee you had that morning, or the workout you completed.

Getting into the habit of declaring what you’re grateful for will break the cycle of negativity and remind you that there are plenty of positives to hold on to.

DR EMEKA IS BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR AI-BASED FITNESS AND LIFESTYLE COACHING APP FREELETICS

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IN FOCUS POSTNATAL DEPRESSION

A SILENT CRISIS POSTNATAL DEPRESSION IN MEN OFTEN GOES UNDIAGNOSED, BUT WITH AS MANY AS ONE IN TEN FATHERS AFFECTED, MORE AWARENESS IS NEEDED AROUND THIS HIDDEN ILLNESS

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hen Steve Wright became a dad, the UK was about to enter its first lockdown.

He’d recently quit his job so he could take some time out to spend with his newborn son. What followed, however, was a crash course in the brutality of mental ill-health.

“Essentially I had a breakdown,” says Wright. “This experience was completely alien to me. I had a complete mental collapse. I didn’t feel like I could pick my baby up without dropping him. I honestly believed at times I was going to hurt him.

Thankfully, I never did. I think it was just my brain playing tricks on me, saying I was going to mess this up.”

Wright is one of a growing number of men sharing their experiences of mental health struggles during the period defined broadly as the time from conception until a baby turns one. Recent research by the Colorado School of Public Health, studying data across a 25-year period from 1995 to 2020, found that 11 per cent of new dads struggle with anxiety. Dr Daniel Singley, a clinical psychologist and founder of the Center for Men’s Excellence in San Diego, says that one in ten men can suffer from some kind of mental health issue, ranging from anxiety to depression or psychosis.

Worryingly, that rises to one in two when their partner is also struggling.

“We’re socialised to think of fathers as protectors and providers, and to sacrifice and be there for others,” says Dr Singley.

“But taken to the extreme, that means, ‘I deny what’s going on with me and I stuff it down’, sometimes to the point of getting to suicidality or acting out with rageful, agitated depression and harming others.”

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IN FOCUS POSTNATAL DEPRESSION

FINDING HELP “Postnatal mental health is significant in fathers, and we know from suicide rates being higher in men that it can escalate very quickly,” says Annie Belasco, who runs PANDAS, the Pre and Postnatal Depression Advice and Support charity.

“We saw a rise in our calls from men between March 2020 and March 2021 of 240 per cent.”

PANDAS is one of a number of outreach services that is working hard to address this growing crisis among fathers, and help bring it to the attention of new parents and busy healthcare services.

One of its volunteers is Ben Taylor, who serves in the Army Air Corps.

Taylor’s wife gave birth to their son in October 2020, and in the weeks that followed, he found himself struggling.

“It was quite a traumatic birth,” he explains. “But I didn’t want to admit I was suffering, because I wasn’t the one who had given birth.”

However, during a regular check-up with their health visitor, he opened up about how he was feeling: “I’m normally quite a confident person, being from the military, but when she asked, ‘Are you OK?’ I couldn’t look her in the eye as I replied, ‘No.’” The health visitor ran through a series of questions about postnatal depression and told him he should seek help, signposting Taylor to PANDAS, where he spoke with two volunteers working specifically with men, one of them ex-military. They helped Taylor understand what he was going through and normalise it.

“I’ve not been diagnosed with PTSD, but there were tell-tale signs of that,” he says. “I was really struggling, I couldn’t sleep, and I thought, Well if I can’t sleep, I might as well work out. I was training four or five times a day, at least an hour at a time.”

Through speaking with other dads in PANDAS’ private Facebook group, Taylor was able to start feeling better and see that other men were going through the same thing. Now, he helps run the group, which has over 600 members – although many choose not to engage, finding solace by simply knowing others are dealing with similar issues.

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“I didn’t want to admit I was suffering, because I wasn’t the one who had given birth” TACKLING OUTDATED IDEAS For Steve Wright, the issues with his mental health during the postnatal period came back to notions that are old-fashioned, but still powerful. “I’m not about keeping my feelings inside,” he says, “but the whole stereotype of being the one that steps up and provides kicked in big time. I just felt utterly useless.”

Rosey Adams, who set up #PNDhour on Twitter to help highlight the issue of postnatal depression and ill-health, agrees.

“The stigma that’s attached to men’s mental health is even bigger than women’s, especially when you become a dad,” she says. “There’s a lot of pressure to hold it all together.”

Wright says that while the midwives who came to see him and his family were helpful – suggesting he contact his GP for support – doctors tended to focus on his partner and their baby, rather than hearing what he was saying about his own mental health. It was at this point he began searching the internet and came across Dad Matters, a pioneering service that helps train staff in maternity services in how to help dads who are struggling. It’s linked with the NHS across Greater Manchester and is currently expanding to more sites around the UK. Its staff replied to him within 15 minutes of his initial message, sent late on a Friday evening, and set up calls the following week to give him the support he needed.

“There are lots of campaigns around male mental health, but in the postnatal

period there’s not a lot of support,” says Kieran Anders, Dad Matters’ project manager. “There’s a lot of focus on mum, and dads want everybody to focus on mum, but dads get missed, partly because the services are so focused on the outcomes for mum and baby.”

Anders says that, thanks to an innovation grant, he and his team have been able to develop universal and targeted approaches to help dads understand their mental health better both before and after their baby is born. Flyers and banner posters at booking appointments and scans highlight the service, while health visitors and midwives are aware of their work. There’s also one-to-one peer support, wider support groups and a growing focus on babies’ mental health, with the aim of shifting the idea of divided male and female services towards a more holistic offering.

That is something Dr Singley also feels passionate about. “We can’t all of a sudden rework society and change gender norms,” he says. “But what I think is likely to be a huge step forward is to stop looking at it as maternal mental health and start calling it ‘parental postnatal mental health’.”

SEEKING SUPPORT

Whether you’ve just had a baby or are struggling months – or even years – after becoming a parent, there are plenty of ways to find help PANDAS

Free helpline, open 11am to 10pm seven days a week, plus PANDAS Dads private Facebook group. pandasfoundation.org.uk

#PNDHOUR

Held every Wednesday on Twitter at 8pm GMT, #PNDhour is a safe space to discuss postnatal mental health issues with other parents. pndandme.co.uk

DAD MATTERS GETTING DADS TALKING One major issue is the difficulty dads have in coming forward. “Dads and men wait quite a long time before they access support and step into that arena of clinical care,” says Anders.

“A lot of the dads won’t present in the postnatal period: they’ll present when their kids are two or three, maybe older, and so that skews the data.”

That often means men have reached crisis point, having struggled to see the early signs of perinatal depression, anxiety or PTSD. Speaking of clients who come to his clinic, Dr Singley says, “They tend to do it really late, so they’re depressed or have suffered with significant anxiety for months and months.”

Breaking this cycle is challenging and requires a greater understanding of the symptoms, helping men detect when they have an issue, as well as offering the services they need from the start of the postnatal period.

Jenn Leifermann, PhD, Professor

at the Colorado School of Public Health, whose research has helped shine a light on the scale of the problem, says more help is needed: “Young parents need additional support in their environment. They are at greater risk of anxiety and there are programmes and policies needed to help these folks.”

She points towards men being more involved in baby check-ups and exploring other risk factors, such as economic deprivation and a past history of poor mental health.

Reaching out and getting that help isn’t easy. But with services like PANDAS, #PNDhour and Dad Matters, the options are improving, especially as the people working and volunteering have all-important lived experience.

“Part of the reason I volunteer is because if I can just help one person,” says Taylor, “or at least the thought of helping one person – that’s going to get me through this.”

Manchester-based service Dad Matters offers support for dads during the postnatal period, but is also active on Facebook and Twitter. dadmatters.org.uk

ANDY’S MAN CLUB

Group sessions run throughout the UK, aimed at helping men being open about their struggles with mental illness. andysmanclub.co.uk

MIDWIVES AND HEALTH VISITORS

Local midwife and health visitor teams have an increasingly good understanding of male postnatal mental health. Remember that health visitors are available for help and support until your child is five.

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GET FIT IN THE KITCHEN

GET SUPP & GO The premium supplement range for athletes seeking an edge in the health and fitness stakes

Former professional ootballers Mathieu Flamini and Mesut Özil are the men behind UNITY, an independent community of athletes, scientists and academics.

Their mission is to share evidence-based advice and develop rigorously tested, clinically proven products to support the key areas of performance: mindset, nutrition, training and recovery.

EXPERT-APPROVED

UNITY’s new U Ultra supplement range reflects those ambitions. Developed through the pioneering Centre for Nutraceuticals, the range consists of Energy Sport Pro, Immunity, Mind and Recovery.

“It’s never been more important for people to look after their health,” Flamini tells Men’s Fitness. “Having worked with the world’s top coaches and performance experts, we understand first-hand how everything from training burnout to stress and poor nutrition can affect everyday performance.

“After searching high and low for the best supplements and being disappointed by what was on offer, we decided to take matters into our own hands by creating our own range. We collaborated with world-renowned scientists at the University of Westminster to produce the most effective supplements, using the highest-quality, clinicallyproven, highly bioavailable ingredients and our trademarked UltraTech™ delivery system.”

Photography: UNITY

PREMIUM QUALITY

That focus on bioavailability central to UNITY’s ethos. The products don’t come cheap (a quarterly supply of Energy Sport Pro, the priciest supplement in the range, will set you back £229.20) but you are paying for premium ingredients free from the ‘fillers’, ‘binders’ and unsustainable plastic coatings associated with cheaper supplements out there. UNITY’s partnership with scientists at the University of Westminster has also ensured each plant-based capsule delivers maximal doses of the very best ingredients.

The U Ultra Range Energy Sport Pro

Designed to increase intensity and endurance, and boost power.

Features antiinflammatory turmeric extract, fatigue-fighting beetroot powder, and enduranceboosting astaxanthin.

Immunity

Increases daily stamina and wellness, provides robust immunity and improves gut health. Features immune-boosting beta glucans, prebiotics and turmeric extract.

Mind

Improves mood, focus and clarity, and promotes relaxation. Contains stress-relieving ashwagandha extract, relaxing saffron extract, and the natural pain reliever PEA – a safe alternative to CBD.

Recovery

Improves training performance and endurance, reduces joint and muscle damage, and recharges and restores electrolyte balance. Contains PEA, turmeric extract, and bonestrengthening magnesium.

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●FUEL NUTRITION NEWS

Asparagus has long been used in herbal medicine due to its anti-cancer, anti-inflammator y and anti-fungal properties.

But now researchers in Korea have found that it has another trick up its sleeve: alleviating hangovers. The researchers showed that, thanks to asparagus’ unique amino acid and mineral profile, it speeds up the body’s metabolism of alcohol, protecting liver cells against damage from alcohol-related toxins. 1

ACID TRYP

Tryptophan is one of the nine essential amino acids.

It serves countless important functions, including helping to produce the mood- and sleepenhancing chemical serotonin. In supplement form, tryptophan can have side effects, but you can get plenty through your food. Pumpkin seeds are a particularly rich source, containing a whopping 576mg (206 per cent RDA) per 100g.

PLUM PUMP

Prunes (dried plums) have a reputation for giving a helping hand to your daily ‘motions’, but they may deserve a regular role in your muscle-building plan, too. Researchers at Oklahoma State University have shown that regular consumption of prunes increases levels of IGF-1: a protein that regulates the effects of growth hormone.2 Try a handful as a pre-workout snack and you’ll also get a useful hit of carbohydrates to fuel your session – just be careful not to overdo it, to save yourself some unplanned toilet sprints mid-workout.

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BUCK THE TREND

Despite the name, buckwheat is a cereal grain not at all related to wheat, meaning it’s gluten-free. It’s richer in various minerals than most other common cereals – such as rice, wheat and corn – and it’s particularly high in the antioxidant rutin. Also found in apples, figs, citrus fruits and green tea, rutin has countless health benefits, including helping to strengthen and increase the flexibility of blood vessels, therefore a i d i n g c i rc u l at i o n . Tr y incorporating buckwheat groats, flour and noodles into your meals for healthy alternatives to more common grains.

Words: TJ Waterfall | Photography: Getty Images | 1. Journal of Food Science 2. Bone 3. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 4. Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism

BEeR SPEAR

RUNNING ON EMPTY Low energy availability is a mismatch between an athlete’s energy intake and the energy expended in exercise. This leaves inadequate energy to support the functions required by the body to maintain optimal health and performance. Much of the previous research in this area was on female athletes, but studies now show low energy availability can significantly decrease testosterone levels (and therefore muscle-building potential), as well as affecting many other aspects of health and quality of life. The takeaway: active lifestyles require ample food input for both performance and wellbeing to prosper.

VEGETARIANS

have healthier biomarker profiles than meat eaters, according to a large-scale study from the University of Glasgow, assessing over 160,000 people. The researchers examined the links between diet and 19 different blood and urine tests related to the most common diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. The beneficial links remained even after accounting for smoking and alcohol consumption. The researchers say these effects are down to the avoidance of red and processed meat – along with the typically higher intake of vegetables, fruit, legumes and nuts, which are packed with nutrients, fibre and other beneficial compounds.

goers Taurin e is becom ing a popul ar suppl emen t amon g gymPOWER UP mixed ve perfo rmanc e, but suppl emen ting with it has provid ed lookin g to impro at the corre ct dosin g result s in the past. A recen t review, thoug h, show ed that rmanc e, streng th, perfo ic aerob ve amou nt and timing , taurin e can in fact impro sed used taurin e in asses 3 s studie the powe r and recovery. However, bear in mind come s with added drinks y energ ar suppl emen t form and the stuff found in popul y. health sugar s flavou rs and colou rs, so isn’t partic ularly

TRY THIS

HOMEMADE ELECTROLYTE SPORTS DRINK From nutritionist TJ Waterfall • 500ml purple grape juice • 500ml water • ¼ tsp iodised salt The ideal carbohydrate content of sports drinks is around six to eight per cent: that helps you absorb the fluid, sugars and electrolytes as quickly as possible, while avoiding stomach discomfort.

Grape juice contains around 16 per cent carbohydrates, which is why it’s best to dilute with at least half water. The salt provides the most important electrolyte, sodium, as well as replacing iodine, which is lost through sweat. Two other key electrolytes, potassium and magnesium, are naturally found in grape juice, so this simple DIY drink provides everything a commercial sports drink would, at a fraction of the price. In fact, it could be even better, as grape juice has been shown to have performanceenhancing effects, thanks to a strong concentration of polyphenols, which help to fight exercise-induced oxidative stress.4

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●FUEL RECIPES

MAINS Two protein-rich meals to feed your muscles and recharge your batteries

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PRAWN PAD THAI Packed full of both slow-release carbs and muscle-fuelling protein, this simple seafoodpacked noodle dish is tasty and nutritious.

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 2) - 250g udon noodles - 10 small broccoli florets - Small handful green beans - 2tsp rapeseed oil - 3 cloves garlic, chopped - 2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped - 2 shallots, finely chopped - 20 large tiger prawns, cleaned and de-shelled - 2 egg whites - 1tbsp sesame oil - 3tbsp fish sauce -1tbsp soy sauce - 1tbsp rice wine vinegar - 1tbsp agave syrup - 3 spring onions, chopped - 2tbsp chopped peanuts - Handful of fresh coriander - 1tbsp lime juice METHOD Boil the noodles for three minutes, then drain, rinse and set aside.

Blanch the broccoli and green beans in boiling

water for one to two minutes. Drain, plunge into cold water and set aside.

Heat a wok and add 1tsp rapeseed oil, plus the garlic, chilli and shallots. Cook over a medium heat for one minute. Add the prawns and cook for a further two to three minutes Add the remaining rapeseed oil and the egg whites. Cook gently, breaking them up as you do so, then put to one side with the prawn mix.

To the empty pan add the sesame oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and agave syrup and cook for two minutes.

Turn up the heat and return the prawns and egg to the wok with the spring onions, blanched veg and noodles.

Remove from the heat and serve immediately, garnished with the peanuts, coriander and lime juice.

PER SERVING Kcals: 900, Protein: 49g, Fats: 21g, Carbs: 140g

STARS OF THE SHOW

Photography: Istock

Egg white provides musclerepairing protein.

Broccoli Peanuts provides provide monochromium, unsaturated fats, which helps which improve with protein and heart health. carbohydrate metabolism.

SWEET AND SOUR TURKEY This rich, tangy turkey recipe uses ingredients that will aid both muscle gain and fat loss.

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 2) - 500g turkey breast, cut into strips - 2tbsp rapeseed oil - 1 onion, sliced - 2tbsp tomato purée - 3tbsp malt vinegar - 1tbsp Muscovado sugar - 2tbsp dark soy sauce - 225g can pineapple chunks in natural juice - 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced - 160g brown rice METHOD Heat half the rapeseed oil in a pan over a medium heat.

Add the onion and cook until browned. Add the purée, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce, and stir.

Add the pineapple chunks and their juice, along with the carrots.

Cook for four minutes, then set aside. Season the turkey, then heat the remaining oil and fry the meat until cooked through.

Return the sauce to the pan, stir thoroughly and cook for five minutes.

Cook the rice according to packaging instructions, then serve with the sauce.

PER SERVING Kcals: 750, Protein: 61g, Fats: 31g, Carbs: 50g

STARS OF THE SHOW Turkey provides protein, which builds muscle and keeps you feeling full.

Onion provides chromium, which helps to control insulin response.

Pineapple provides manganese, which helps to regulate blood sugar levels.

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●FUEL PROTEIN BARS

TO THE

BAR

These protein bars represent the best in portable postworkout recovery Protein bars are the snack of choice for anyone leading an active lifestyle, providing an on-thego alternative to more cumbersome shakes and time-intensive meals. With that in mind, here’s our pick of the best.

76 AUGUST 2021

GRENADE CARB KILLA

£30.99 (box of 12), grenade.com An obvious choice, perhaps, but the UK’s best-selling protein bar is so for a reason. Loaded with 20g protein and just 1.4g sugar, it’s the besttasting, least-sickly bar we’ve tested. The Salted Caramel flavour gets our vote, although there are no less than 11 others to choose from. The only downside is restricting yourself to one a day (but who are we to tell you how to live your life).

Taste: ★ ★★★

Health: ★ ★★ ★ Protein: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★

REFLEX NUTRITION R-BAR £22 (box of 12), reflexnutrition.com

PHD SMART BAR PLANT £29.99 (box of 12), phd.com

With a chart-topping 23g plant-based protein per bar, look no further than PhD if that’s the only factor you’re interested in. The texture won’t be to some people’s liking, but those recovery credentials make a bit of perseverance worth your while.

Free from any nasty ingredients and loaded with whey protein from grassfed cows, on paper these bars are top of the pile. There’s no getting round the fact that they are quite dense, though, and the Chocolate flavour leaves a bit to be desired.

Taste: ★★★★★ Health: ★★★★ Protein: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★★

Taste: ★★★★ Health: ★★★ ★ Protein: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★

OPTIMUM NUTRITION WHIPPED PROTEIN BAR

£2.49 (per bar), optimumnutrition.com These bars continue ON’s high-quality range of protein products. All-natural types should look elsewhere, but if it’s just a tasty training treat you’re after, these boast 20g of muscle-building protein, a nice crisp texture and a relatively low calorie count (197).

SIS PROTEIN20

Taste: ★★★ ★ Health: ★★★ ★ Protein: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★

£30, scienceinsport.com Utilising a three-part blend of casein, whey and soy protein, these bars chuck everything at your muscles to kickstart growth. The texture is pleasantly chewy without being too claggy, and Chocolate and Peanut, or Mint Chocolate, are your flavour choices.

Taste: ★★★★★ Health: ★★★ ★ Protein: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★★

USN TRUST CRUNCH

£25 (box of 12), hollandandbarrett.com Sweet-toothed gym-goers will enjoy the range of dessert flavours (Raspberry Cheesecake, anyone?), and 20g protein is optimal postworkout fuel. 2.5g sugar is slightly more than others bars in this list, but 213 calories is about par.

Taste: ★★★★★ Health: ★★★ ★ Protein: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★★

BULK VEGAN PROTEIN BAR £2.49 (per bar), bulk.com

Some might find these slightly too chalky in texture, and the sizeable 279 calories can’t be ignored, but that shake-matching 21g protein is difficult to beat. If you find protein powders hard to stomach, or you just need a more convenient post-workout option, give these a go.

Taste: ★★★ ★ Health: ★★★★ Protein: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★★

ONE PRO PROTEIN BAR

£2.50 (per bar), onepronutrition.com As well as 17g protein, these vegan bars pack an impressive 15g fibre (half your RDA) to keep gut health in check.

The texture is spot on – a chocolate layer encasing a crunchy middle – but the Peanut & Cacao flavour is a little on the dry side.

Taste: ★★★ ★ Health: ★ ★★ ★★ Protein: ★ ★★ ★★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★★

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YOUR BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS

BODY BLAST

This three-part session utilises primal movements designed to improve mobility, coordination and balance This is a full-body workout from Vitor Fernandes, instructor at Digme Fitness. You will be exploring multiple planes of motion, and maintaining mindmuscle connection throughout is key

BLOCK 1

1a. WALKOUT Stand with your feet shoulderdistance apart.

Hinge at your hips and place your hands on the floor.

Walk your hands all the way out until you’re in a high plank position.

Walk your hands back, stand up tall and squeeze your glutes at the top.

1b. PLANK STEP Start in a high plank position.

Place one foot on the outside of your hand and keep the back knee hovering off the floor.

Lift one arm and pull the elbow up and back towards your rear.

Reverse the movement and bring your hand back to the starting position.

Switch to the other leg and arm, and repeat.

Photography: Digme Fitness

1c. LOADED BEAST Start in a high plank position.

Keeping your hands where they are, sit your hips back to your heels.

Keep your knees hovering off the floor.

Ensure that you maintain a neutral spine by dropping your head between your arms.

Push off the balls of your feet and return to the starting position.

to unlocking the full range of benefits.

In each block, perform exercises A, B and C individually for 45 seconds, with a 15-second rest in-between. That will take 3 minutes. After you've completed

BLOCK 2

2a. AIR SQUAT Stand with your feet shoulderdistance apart.

Start the movement by pushing the hips back and down.

Keep the chest lifted and your bodyweight evenly distributed in your feet.

Once you reach 90 degrees at your knees, push through your heels, squeeze your glutes and rise back up to standing.

2b. COMMANDER SQUAT Stand with your feet shoulderdistance apart.

Step one leg back and lower your knee to the floor.

Bring the other leg back so your knees meet.

Keep your knees shoulder-distance apart.

Step back up onto one foot, then the other, while holding a low squat.

Squeeze your glutes to rise back to standing.

2c. STAGGERED GOOD MORNING Start by standing in a staggered stance (one leg in front of the other).

Hinge forward and push your hips back.

Maintain a neutral spine.

Once you’ve hinged as far forward as you can, while maintaining your form, slowly return back to standing.

Repeat on the other leg.

each exercise individually, perform a combination of all three exercises for 1 minute. Give yourself a 1-minute recovery between each block. The entire workout will be 15 minutes in total.

BLOCK 3

3a. REVERSE LUNGE Stand with your feet shoulderdistance apart.

Step back on one leg, allow the knee to drop and stop just before it reaches the floor.

Bring the leg back up and return to the starting position.

Repeat on the other leg.

Maintain core stability and upright posture

3b. HALF BURPEE Stand with your feet shoulderdistance apart.

Squat down until your hands reach the floor.

Using your hands on the floor for support, jump both of your feet back so you land in a high plank position.

Jump your feet forward to land in a squat.

Maintain your posture and stand.

3c. HANDRELEASE PRESS-UP Start in a high plank position.

Keeping the elbows squeezed in, slowly lower your whole body to the floor.

Once your body hits the floor, release your hands and squeeze your shoulder blades together.

Place your hands back on the floor and push your whole body back up.

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●TRAINER BOBBY RICH

“TRAIN SMART. TRAIN OFTEN. IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE” Bobby Rich is the former Judo champ turned personal trainer to the stars, trusted with keeping the likes of David Beckham and Jason Statham in serious shape. Here’s his blueprint for building your best body

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It’s not revolutionary: train smart, train hard, train often, but recover well and eat clean. It’s not rocket science. The biggest things for me are accountability and consistency.

I spent a lot of time coaching competitive athletes – David Haye, for example – and there’s no reason you can’t take that methodology of performance training into the world of personal training. Typically I break my programmes up into 12-week blocks, and within those blocks we fulfil various elements of fitness, depending on what the client wants to achieve.

With David Haye we started off with six-week camps and as he got a bit older the camps got a bit longer. We would break them up and try to peak a couple of times within the camp, because you can’t maintain complete intensity for long. That’s the same for someone who’s trying to perform for everyday health and wellness.

You get a lot of people who want to go to the gym and smash themselves to bits every session, but that’s not sustainable: you’re going to end up injured, or just burning out mentally.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and a place for a bit of character building and leaving your soul on the gym floor, but not every day.

THINK FAST Bobby Rich’s formula for fasted cardio

• Do this two to three times per week for maximum fat burn.

Photography: Mark James

• Pick an exercise or cardio machine you enjoy (Rich’s go-to is the ski erg).

• Work in intervals of 30 secs on, 30 secs off.

• For the working intervals, you want to be working at an eight or a nine out of ten.

• Complete anywhere from 12-20 sets in total

As an athlete, David Haye is unmatched when it comes to people I’ve coached, but in terms of cardiovascular fitness David Beckham is really strong. He still holds that engine, and when I get him on the treadmill I have to stick a weighted vest on him just to slow him down.

Strength-wise, Jason Statham was one of the most impressive chaps I trained: his bodyweight strength is phenomenal.

g gy lift heavy weights without paying any attention to the basics. By that I mean working on foundational strength in the tendons and ligaments, and working on mobility, flexibility and joint health. Guys tend to worry about kilograms over form. By lowering the kilos and getting technique sorted I probably lengthened my own sporting career, and the same can be said for everyday gym-goers: by getting the basics right you will be strong, healthy and injury-free for much longer.

Rich says everyone can benefit from periodising their training, just like elite athletes

When it comes to fat loss, it depends on what people are doing already and what their body types are, but really it comes down to consistency with training and consistency with nutrition. I’m a big believer in fasted cardio in the morning: nothing crazy, just 15-20 minutes of interval training before eating.

For me, mobility is the biggest thing, and one real positive to come out of the recent lockdowns has been the shift towards bodyweight training and paying more attention to how we move. You can’t lift weights constantly – as much as I’m a fan of strength training, you need to give your joints a rest. By having more mobile joints, you will not only feel better, but regular lifters can take heart from the fact they will also be able to lift more.

BOBBY RICH IS A PUMA AMBASSADOR AND PERFORMANCE COACH SPECIALISING IN FUNCTIONAL FITNESS. EARLIER THIS YEAR, PUMA RELEASED FUSE, THEIR FIRST TRAINER DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR FUNCTIONAL FITNESS TRAINING. FUSE IS AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE ONLINE AT UK.PUMA.COM

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●TRAINER BEACHBODY WORKOUT

HOME GROWN Build functional strength with this minimal-kit workout from cover star Amoila Cesar

Cesar is the man behind Beachbody On Demand’s ‘645’ home workout programme – featuring this full-body session and others like it. Six days a week, 45 minutes a day, combining strength, cardio and mobility, 645 is all about optimising performance and fast-tracking results, without burning out or overtraining.

“Every workout should leave you feeling challenged, strong and energised – not sore and spent,” says Cesar. “That’s the true barometer of whether or not a training session was effective. And unless you’re a powerlifter or physique athlete, you’ll likely benefit most from workouts packed with functional exercises that build real-world strength that extends beyond the gym. After all, that’s the ultimate goal: to build a lean, defined body that both turns heads and optimises your performance in everyday life.

1. THREAD THE NEEDLE REPS: 1 to 2 mins REST: As needed SETS: 1 Start in a tabletop position with your hands below your shoulders, your knees below your hips, and your toes pointed (tops of your feet facing down).

Push your hips back until your glutes are on your heels, and then walk your hands forward into child’s pose (try to touch your forehead to the floor).

Thread your left arm under your body to your right, pressing your right shoulder into the floor until you feel a stretch.

Hold, then return to child’s pose with both arms forward.

Repeat with your left arm, threading it under your body to your right.

Continue alternating sides.

2. CRAB REACH REPS: 1 to 2 mins REST: As needed SETS: 1 Sit on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat, and hands on the floor behind you. This is the starting position.

Simultaneously raise your hips and lift your left arm, rotating your torso so that your arms form a straight line pointed toward the ceiling.

Reverse the movement to return to the start.

Repeat, this time lifting your right arm and rotating to your right.

Continue alternating sides.

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HOW TO • Warm up with one set each of exercises 1 and 2.

• Perform exercises 3a, 3b, and 3c as a tri-set (backto-back without rest). Repeat 3 times in total, resting 45 seconds between rounds.

• Perform exercises 4a and 4b as a superset (backto-back without rest). Repeat 3 times in total, resting 45 seconds between rounds.

• Perform 3 sets of exercise 5, resting 15 seconds between them.

• Cool down with 1 set of exercise 6.

3c. SPLIT-STANCE WOOD CHOP

3a. SINGLE-LEG ROMANIAN DEADLIFT WITH ROW

REPS: 10 per side REST: 45 secs, then repeat 3a SETS: 3 Assume a split stance with your left leg forward, holding a dumbbell in both hands by your right shoulder. This is the starting position.

Keeping your core engaged and back flat, allow your torso to rotate slightly as you draw the dumbbell down and across your body to your left hip.

Pause, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position.

Do all your reps, switch sides and repeat.

REPS: 10 per side REST: Straight to 3b Stand tall holding a dumbbell in your right hand at arm’s length by your side.

Lift your right foot off the ground slightly behind you. This is the starting position.

Keeping your core engaged and back flat, push your hips back and lower the dumbbell to mid-shin level as you raise your right leg straight behind.

Keeping your elbow tucked, row the weight to the side of your body.

Pause, then lower the weight and return to the starting position.

Do all your reps, switch sides, and repeat.

3b. TORQUE PRESS REPS: 10 per side REST: Straight to 3c Assume a half kneeling position with both knees bent 90 degrees (left leg forward), holding a dumbbell in your right hand in the racked position (elbow tucked, palm facing in). Allow your left arm to hang by your side.

This is the starting position.

Keeping your core engaged and back flat, rotate to the right and press the weight overhead as you rotate your palm away from you.

(You can raise your left arm out to your side for balance.)

Pause, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position.

Do all your reps, then switch sides.

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●TRAINER BEACHBODY WORKOUT 4a. TUCK JUMP REPS: 20 REST: Straight to 4b Start in an athletic stance (feet hip to shoulder-width apart, hips back, knees bent slightly) with your elbows bent and hands in front of your chest (palms down).

Drop your hips briefly and then jump up explosively, lifting your knees and taping them with your hands in the air.

Land softly and return to the starting position

4b. LATERAL BOUND REPS: 20 REST: 45 secs, then repeat 4a SETS: 3 From a standing position, shift your weight onto your right leg, bending your right knee slightly and raising your left foot off the floor behind you.

Push off explosively with your right leg, bounding sideways to your left.

Land softly on your left leg, allowing your right leg to cross behind you and your arms to swing across your body in the same direction.

Pause, then repeat in the other direction, pushing off with your left leg and landing on your right.

Continue jumping back and forth.

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5. KICK-THROUGH REPS: 20 REST: 15 secs SETS: 3 Assume a bear crawl position with your arms straight, hands below your shoulders, and knees bent 90 degrees below your hips (only your hands and toes should touch the floor).

Keeping your back flat, core engaged, and right hand on the floor, lift your left arm and right leg and rotate to your left, pivoting on your left foot as you thread your right leg beneath you and extend it straight (don’t allow it to touch the floor).

Reverse the movement to return to the starting position.

Repeat in the opposite direction, lifting your right hand and left leg, and pivoting on your right foot as you thread your left leg through.

Continue alternating.

6. PIGEON ON THE LEDGE

Model: @amoila_cesar | Photography: beachbodyondemand.com

REPS: 30 secs to 1 min per side REST: As needed SETS: 1 Assume a plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your body straight from head to heels.

Bend your right knee and draw it forward, placing it on the floor below your chest with your lower leg pointing to your left.

Carefully lift your arms and overlap them across your chest.

Lower or raise your torso and hips until you feel a deep stretch in your right buttock and outer thigh.

Hold for time, then repeat with your opposite leg.

AMOILA CESAR’S HOME WORKOUTS ARE EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE AT BEACHBODYONDEMAND.COM (MEMBERSHIPS START AT £59.84 FOR THREE MONTHS).

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●TRAINER THRUDARK WORKOUT

FULL FORCE

Tackle this hard-hitting circuit from veteran Special Forces operative and ThruDark founder Anthony Stazicker Anthony ‘Staz’ Stazicker is a distinguished Special Forces operator, with 13 years of military service under his belt. Staz recently joined SAS: Who Dares Wins as the new DS for 2021, and he’s the cofounder of high-performance outerwear brand ThruDark.

“I usually train at a high intensity and complete all my workouts within 45 minutes,” Staz tells Men’s Fitness. “The below exercises are my go-to, and I’ll usually combine five or six of them into a circuit. These circuits tend to be done three to four times a week, and I’ll sometimes add in a weighted vest to increase the challenge.”

WORKOUT INSTRUCTIONS • Pick out five or six of the following exercises.

• You’re going to do 5 rounds in total.

• Complete 10-12 reps of each exercise, moving from one to the next with minimal rest.

• Once you’ve completed 1 round of exercises, head over to the air bike or rowing machine and work until you’ve burned 50 calories.

• Rest 90 secs, then repeat.

• At the end of the second round, go for 40 calories on the bike or rower – then 30 on the third, 20 on the second, and finally 10 on the last round.

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1. DUMBBELL MAN MAKER

“These are a full-body workout in their own right,” says Staz. “I usually complete them with 20kg dumbbells. Concentrate on controlling the movement throughout.”

Start in a standing position with a dumbbell in each hand.

Lower your dumbbells to the ground and assume a press-up position, with hands on the dumbbells.

Perform a full press-up.

As you return to the top of the press-up, pull one arm up into a row.

Repeat the same movement with the other arm.

Next, jump both feet towards the outside of your hands and go straight into a low squat, holding both dumbbells over your shoulders.

In a continuous movement, stand up and perform an overhead dumbbell press, lifting the dumbbells straight into the air.

Return to the squat position, placing the dumbbells shoulder-width apart again on the floor, jumping both feet back into the modified press-up position in which you started.

2. PULL-UP

“Pull-ups are a great benchmark for upper-body strength,” says Staz, “and they have been a go-to exercise for me during and since leaving the military.”

Grip the pull-up bar hands with hands wider than shoulder-width apart. Brace your abs and pull yourself up until your whole head is above the bar.

Lower your body under control until your arms are straight. Keep your shoulders engaged and don’t sag at the bottom.

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●TRAINER THRUDARK WORKOUT 3. SLED PUSH

“I have a lower-back injury, so I really like sled pushing and pulling as an alternative to squatting,” says Staz. “I can still maintain a high weight load and really target the legs and core.”

Stay flat and low – your aim is to push the prowler along the floor, not into it.

Keep a straight back, as a rounded back acts as a shock absorber, taking force out of the prowler.

Keep strong, straight arms; by keeping your arms rigid and strong you’ll ensure there’s no loss of power by having ‘soft’ shoulders and elbows.

Take long, powerful strides. As you fatigue, the temptation will be to take shorter strides, but always try to take the longest, most powerful strides you can. This will ensure better power transfer and keep momentum in the prowler.

4. HANDSTAND PRESS-UP

“I’ve always been interested in gymnastics, and handstand press-ups really hit the shoulders and core like no other exercise,” says Staz. “These can be performed anywhere, with just your bodyweight.”

Place your hands about 30cm from a wall and kick your legs over your head and rest them against it.

If you’re struggling, lead with one leg and progressively kick harder until you feel the wall, then bring your other foot up to meet it.

Brace your core and lower your head towards the floor. Take a progressive approach with this and only go as far as you feel you can control. As you get stronger, you’ll be able to move your head closer to the ground.

At the bottom of the press-up, tense your core again and push down hard, straightening your elbows until you’ve returned to the start.

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5. TURKISH GET-UP

“This is my favourite core exercise,” says Staz. “It requires minimum space, and either a kettlebell or dumbbell. Turkish get-ups target the whole body, and help with coordination and movement patterns.”

Lie on the floor on your left side, with arms and legs bent, holding a kettlebell by the horns with your left hand.

Roll onto your back while bringing your right arm and right leg down flat and out to the side slightly. At the same time, punch your left arm up to the ceiling (locked out), keeping your left leg bent, with your knee pointing up to the ceiling, and your foot on the floor.

Using your core, roll onto your right forearm, pause, then shift your weight onto your right hand, while keeping the left arm locked out and vertical above your shoulder.

Press through your right palm to a tall, seated position, with both arms now straight.

Press through your left heel to extend your hips up so your torso forms a straight line from left knee to left shoulder.

Move your right leg under your hips and behind you until your right knee is in line with your right hand.

Shift your weight until you’re in a half-kneeling position, with your torso vertical and right hand off the floor.

Push through the back foot to a standing position, left arm still locked out with the kettlebell above your left shoulder.

Pause for a few seconds, then slowly reverse the movement to eventually return the kettlebell back to the floor in the position you started.

6. KETTLEBELL LUNGE

“Isolating the legs and core with lunges works really well for me,” says Staz. “Take each lunge slowly and controlled for maximum muscle activation.”

Stand tall, holding a kettlebell in one hand.

With your chest up, core tight and back straight, take a big step forward with your opposite leg and bend your knees to lunge down.

Push back off your front foot to return to the start.

Switch the kettlebell to the other hand and lunge with the other leg – that is 1 rep.

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●TRAINER THRUDARK WORKOUT 7. BOX JUMP

“Box jumps are great for explosive power and coordination,” says Staz.

“I alternate heights and angles of the jumps when required.”

Stand just in front of a box with feet shoulder-width apart.

Swing your arms and hinge hips back with a tall chest, flat back, and engaged core.

Swing your arms forward, using momentum to jump up and slightly forward, landing softly with both feet completely on the box.

Stand up, locking out your knees and extending your hips.

Carefully step back down to the ground.

8. ROPE CLIMB

“An integral part of basic military training and fitness, rope climbs utilise multiple muscle groups,” says Staz. “I will sometimes add weight or isolate to arms only etc. to increase the difficulty.”

Grip the rope overhead, positioning it in the centre of your body.

Make sure your knees move as close as possible to your chest.

As you climb, wrap the rope on top of the dominant leg’s foot.

The free foot catches the rope, steps on the rope, and pinches the rope between the feet.

Pull with your arms to reach them overhead, while extending the hips and knees to stand up at the start of each pull.

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9. FARMER’S CARRY

“Nothing is as simple – or difficult – as moving heavy weight under control over distance,” says Staz. “Farmer’s carries are great for grip strength, which is often ignored.”

Grab two heavy dumbbells or kettlebells and walk for 30-40m, lifting as heavy as you can without your grip giving out before the end.

If you don’t have a 30-40m track at your gym, walk back and forth over a shorter distance, drop the weights at one end, turn around and pick them straight back up until you’ve completed the requisite distance.

Photography: Matt Hardy/ThruDark

10. BARBELL HIGH PULL

“A great functional movement which isolates almost every muscle group,” says Staz. “It’s vital to maintain good posture and form throughout.”

Hold a barbell with an overhand grip with hands shoulder-width apart.

Stand tall and let the bar hang at arm’s length in front of your thighs.

Hinge at your hips and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor.

Pull the bar as high as you can toward your chin by explosively standing up as you bend your elbows and raise your upper arms.

Reverse the movement to return to the start.

SHOP THRUDARK’S FORCE RANGE AT THRUDARK.COM

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●TRAINER GIVE ME STRENGTH

James Griffiths has recorded the highest altitude workout ever, completed 1,000 24kg kettlebell snatches in under one hour, and was Southern England’s strongest man under 80kg in 2018. His obsession isn’t with his own fitness, though: everything he’s done is about learning how to help others push past their limits.

Wild Training, which he founded in 2015, is all about sharing the joy of health and fitness in unique ways that challenge traditional norms.

TAKE THE LIFTS

Olympic lifting done well is the gold standard for power, strength and skill, but if you’re unsure about the technique, there are several safer progressions to master first he argument around the ‘best’ type of strength training will never end. And that’s no bad thing, as strength will always mean different things to different people. However, there is a strong case to be made for an Olympic barbell being the most versatile option for whole-body strength.

Compound strength training such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, push and pull movements can all be covered with a barbell. And another system I love with the Olympic bar is landmine training, as it gave me a quantum leap in my own strength.

However, what we’re going to focus on here is arguably what the barbell was made for: Olympic lifting.

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As a training system, it’s fantastic for many different reasons, and it has featured in my own training for over a decade – but not in the purest sense. I don’t actually train the two competition lifts (snatch, and clean and jerk) very often. If you aren’t competing and you just want to get stronger and fitter, you don’t need the whole lifts.

I believe there are component parts of those two lifts that are much faster to learn safely, and therefore faster, to get athletes working at relevant intensities to maximise their gains from their training. Injury rate is a headline that CrossFit often has to defend, and whether there is any real data or not on injury rates relating to Olympic lifting, it is highly technical and takes a lot of time to learn how to do well.

FLEXIBILITY FOCUS The main limitation for most people who want to learn Olympic lifting is flexibility. I like that, because it makes people wanting to be strong accountable for their movement quality as well, which is a good balance to have. The trouble is, flexibility can’t be forced and it takes time to develop, so if you lack the flexibility to perform the full Olympic lifts well, you are either going to lose motivation quickly, or get injured trying to move a weight you don’t have the movement quality to lift properly.

I’ve broken down the snatch, and clean and jerk, into two component lifts each. I train these movements all the time for myself and my clients. While they require an amount of skill to perform well, they put less emphasis on mobility and coordination than the full lifts.

Photography: Simon Howard

MEET THE EXPERT

SNATCH MOVEMENTS

CLEAN & JERK MOVEMENTS

SNATCH-GRIP DEADLIFT

JUMPING HIGH PULL

OVERHEAD SQUAT

DROP DRILL

This is an amazing exercise for strengthening your deadlift mechanics.

The wide snatch grip makes your upper back work a lot harder, which will help develop strength in your traps. You will also be lifting the bar from lower than a normal deadlift set-up, so it’s a great way to become stronger in the bottom part of your deadlift.

• Set up for the deadlift with a snatch grip, so your arms are wide enough for the bar to sit across the crease of your hips when locked out.

• I find a narrower stance works better, with your feet turned out so you can push your knees out wide and keep your spine nice and upright.

• Take a deep breath and engage your lats hard to create tension down your back.

• Drive through your hips, so from the moment you start the lift your hips are travelling towards the bar.

• Lower the bar slowly and let it rest on the floor before you start your next rep – no tap-and-go reps.

Photography: James Griffiths | Model: Kurt Hicks @kurthickspt

Master the overhead squat before you try doing the snatch; you’ll have a lot more fun and be less likely to injure yourself. I really like this exercise for creating postural awareness and balance, as well as back strength.

• Perform a power snatch, or take the bar out of a high rack to start.

• Lock the arms out with a snatch grip and keep the palms facing up as much as you can, so the weight is in the bottom of your forearms.

Keep your head up and pick a spot to look at just above your eye line.

• Take a deep breath in as you start your descent. The focus should be on depth, while keeping the bar balanced above the crown of your head.

• Take a pause at the bottom of the rep, then drive back up to the top.

If Olympic lifts help athletes increase vertical force, then a jumping high pull is as good as it gets. You perform triple extension maximally, and that’s it. There’s no need to perform a technical catch of the bar: grip it and rip it. You can perform these from the floor or from a hand position. Quality over quantity, so rest after each rep and check your form as you get tired. I’d stick to reps of less than 6 for this sort of drill.

• Either set up in a hang position just below the knees or a deadlift position with your feet hip-width apart.

• Drive up maximally, extending your knees, hips and ankles in that order. Your aim is to take off from the floor in a vertical line, making sure your spine is upright as you jump.

• The bar should travel in a vertical line really close to your body. You shrug the bar and then pull it up after you have completed the triple extension jump described above.

• Land soft and take your time to reset for the next rep.

I’ve been lucky enough to spend some time training with GB strength and conditioning coach Andy Hudson. He helped me evolve my training in a big way, and this drop drill is one gem he showed me to encourage people to remember a decent clean is about racing the bar to the bottom. So often people put too much emphasis on lifting the bar up, which can slow the lift down. This drill will help sort that issue out.

• Deadlift the bar and fully extend your knees, hips and ankles.

Arms stay locked out, but you also need to shrug your shoulders.

Essentially, you remove the ability to lift the bar up.

• When you are balanced, lift your knees and drop into a deep squat while setting up to rack the bar in the clean position. The drill is simply about practising dropping your body under the bar fast enough so you can catch it in a decent rack/clean position.

• One cue I often use is that rather than pulling the bar up, I’m trying to pull my body under the bar.

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●TRAINER ASK THE EXPERT

TAKE IT OUTSIDE

With the right exercises and workout protocols you can build muscle in the great outdoors

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s you’re reading this magazine, we can presume you probably enjoy hitting the gym every now and then, but when the sun’s out it can feel a shame to be cooped up indoors. Squeezing in a gym session in the morning or late evening is a good way to keep up your weights training without missing out on the summer weather, but if you can learn how to make serious strength gains outside you can enjoy the best of both worlds.

“There is nothing ‘magical’ about a gym setting in itself, so doing similar workouts in your back garden or park is going to allow for the same strength gains,” insists personal trainer Scott Laidler, who has worked with Oscar-winning actors and musicians. “The nuance to consider is whether you can gain strength without a full gym kit – and the answer is yes.”

Here Laidler outlines how to use your bodyweight, your local park and some natural outdoor features to create your own outdoor set-up. The secret is simply to chase the same progressive overload you would in the gym.

“Essentially you just need to consistently ask more of your body over a given period of time – as well as fuel yourself well and get adequate rest – to see real gains,” he explains.

“If you consider muscle growth, there are many different routes to the same goal. Having a full barbell set in a gym might be the most linear approach, but you can also do bodyweight exercises like handstands, which is more in the vein of gymnastics training. There is a continuum between strength and muscle gains, so however you train for strength you will usually also see welcome muscle gains.”

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THE EXPERT Scott Laidler has worked with Hollywood actors and elite athletes. Find out more at scottlaidler.com

Words: Mark Bailey | Photography: Getty Images | Illustrations: Peter Liddiard

Use your body The average man in the UK weighs around 83.6kg – that’s a lot of useful weight to harness in your outdoor workouts.

“The best bodyweight exercises for building strength outside are the classics: squats, press-ups, pull-ups, dips, muscle-ups, inverted rows and planks,” suggests Laidler. “Each of these exercises offers a whole world of options for progression, so you can get very technical. For example, once you’re confident with your bodyweight squats, you can transition to pistol squats. And you can adapt press-ups with myriad advancements, such as slowing down, changing your inclines, or even doing one-arm variations, Rocky-style. With bodyweight exercises, you can scale up your repetitions and movement patterns quite quickly.”

Get kitted out You don’t need a lot of equipment to improve your outdoor training, but it’s worth investing in a few select pieces of kit.

“Kettlebells are a great help for outdoor strength gains, as they naturally lend themselves to functional strength exercises, which are exactly the kind of multijoint, compound work that yields excellent results,” says Laidler. “A suspension trainer like a TRX is also excellent for strength training, and a good travel companion that you can take to a local park, or put on a lamppost or tree. Moving more into the realm of cross-training, gymnastic rings and parallettes offer plenty of options for strength training, too. Once you understand the basic mechanics of what leads to an increase in strength – and focus on that progressive overload – your options are endless.”

Push yourself So what is the best way to progress your training outside to ensure optimal strength gains?

“The simple 5 x 5 sets is a classic strength protocol,” says Laidler, “but you can progress to more advanced protocols outside, such as using a ‘rest and pause’ technique to add to the overall load, or switching to ‘cluster training’, where you have short rests in the middle of your sets to help you achieve higher-quality efforts. But in the outdoor environment it’s less about rep ranges and more about mastering your control and technique. Once you develop an instinctive understanding of when you are hitting your current limit, you can experiment to nudge that level higher. You’ll notice the number of reps you can do goes up quite quickly, so you will be able to see tangible results this summer.”

DIY GYM From pull-ups on tree branches, to tricep dips on park benches, it’s easy to turn your local park, streets or woodland into a makeshift outdoor gym.

1. Go to your local woodland and lift logs as barbells.

3. Pick up an old tractor tyre from a breaker’s yard and do flips in your garden.

5. Use sturdy tree branches to perform pull-ups.

2. Head to a beach and use rocks as kettlebells.

4. Find a local hill for some hill sprints, bear walks, scorpion walks or walking lunges.

6. Lean on some railings for inverted rows or dips.

7. Use a park bench for dips, press-ups, box jumps and split squats.

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●TRAINER FINAL THOUGHT

ON THE UP

Hill sprints are the brutal but effective boost your fitness could be calling out for

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TRY THIS 5 X 3 MINUTES - Sprint uphill, turn around at the top and jog back down.

- Once back at the bottom, immediately turn around and sprint back up. Keep this going for 3 minutes.

- It doesn’t matter how long the rest is between each of the 3-minute sets, just focus on maintaining intensity for each.

- Once you’ve done your last rep, you should feel like you’ve got just enough strength for a final effort.

Illustration: Getty Images

phill running requires more neuromuscular coordination than running on flat ground, as your brain needs to communicate with your muscles to produce the right force and strength to make it to the top. You will naturally lift your knees higher, push off your forefoot and pump your arms, all of which are key elements of good running form. On the downhills, you’ll need to squeeze those glutes and be light on your toes to stay in control – again encouraging good form.

Practise hill repeats once a week and you’ll soon be running better on the flats, too. You will also scorch body fat, and increase your VO2 max and lactate threshold – which in turn will improve your running performance.

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