jjikhv by Soyaleman

M A D E F O R P L A C E S T H AT M A K E Y O U F E E L S M A L L .

THE NEW 2022

GRAND CHEROKEE L

M A D E F O R W H AT Y O U ’ R E M A D E O F.

“You’re running your own race. Don’t look in the other lanes. It doesn’t matter how fast somebody else is going.” —GLEN POWELL , P. 72

FEATURES

Danny Ramirez, Glen Powell, and Jay Ellis photographed exclusively for Men’s Health by Art Streiber. Styling by Jenny Ricker/TMG-LA.com. Grooming for Ramirez by Diana Schmidtke/Forward Artists using Laura Mercier. Grooming for Ellis and Powell by Barbara Guillaume/Forward Artists using Circa 1970 Luxury Face Oil. Hair for Ellis by Eric Gonzalez. Prop styling by Jan Appleton. Production by Crawford & Co. On the cover, on Danny: Tank by Mack Weldon; pants by Banana Republic; Startimer Pilot quartz watch by Alpina; boots by Cat Footwear. On Jay: Tank by Cotton Citizen; pants by Alex Mill. On Glen: Vintage T-shirt and vintage Polo Ralph Lauren pants, available at the Society Archive. This page, on Danny: Tank by Ten Thousand; shorts by Nike; Nike sneakers, Danny’s own. On Glen: Vintage tank by Abercrombie & Fitch, available at the Society Archive; joggers by Paskho; sneakers by Nike. On Jay: Tank by Calvin Klein; hybrid pants by Brady; sneakers by Salomon.

72 TOP GUN FOREVER

With Top Gun: Maverick (finally) in theaters, its new aviators Glen Powell, Jay Ellis, and Danny Ramirez share what they learned about fighter-pilot muscle and flying with the Maverick himself.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ART STREIBER

80 COOL DAD: TOUGH TIMES EDITION

Raising kids is hard. Raising kids in today’s world? Rough. These dads are here to help. PLUS: THE MEN’S HEALTH DAD GEAR AWARDS

88 NICK CANNON IS ALL RIGHT

The multihyphenate entertainer and father of eight on managing time, dealing with depression, and growing from stumbles. BY MYCHAL DENZEL SMITH

94 ARE YOU MENTALLY FIT?

You do reps in the gym, but what about your mind? Here’s how to boost your emotional sharpness, use vulnerability, and build resilience. BY MIKE KESSLER WITH MARTY MUNSON

102 SCOT PETERSON SLEEPS AT NIGHT

One of the deadliest school shootings happened on officer Scot Peterson’s watch. He did nothing. But he can explain. BY ERIC BARTON

MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

CONTENTS

WORK HARD, WORK OUT HARDER Wiz Khalifa’s secret to putting on muscle. (See page 22.)

LIFE 35 Start your engine:

Six adventurous, fullthrottle road trips. (We also picked the vehicles.)

40 All your #plantdad questions answered. 44 Your next protein feast: leg of lamb. 46 Troy Aikman wants

his light lager to be the MVP of “wellness” beers. Here’s how it stacks up.

50 This year’s best

watches do much more than just tell you the time.

54 What we can all

learn about failure (and hustle) from (we’re not kidding) Nicolas Cage.

MIND 57 Nike Running’s

Coach Bennett on the life-changing lessons of radical positivity.

64 Gregory Scott

Brown, M.D., shares his medication-free way of healing your own mind.

65 How monitoring his

sleep helps Bonobos cofounder Andy Dunn manage his business— and his mental health.

cannabis gummies and better sleep, and what you thought of 2 Chainz’s full-body workout.

15 How trampoline training can forge balance, athleticism, and muscle—in the air. 18 Enough with the

crunches. Blast your abs with these five dynamic moves.

| MEN’S HEALTH

28 Tested: The top-rated “smart” water bottles.

BONUS:

MH GROOMING AWARDS 2022

Featuring everything you need to look your best today, tomorrow, always. p. 66

30 Transfor-nation:

22 6 A.M.: How rapper

24 Is the anti-Alzheimer’s

32 Inside the highstakes scientific race to turn toilets into the Fitbits of poop.

MIND diet really a smart idea? MAY • JUNE 2022

one minute = the best forearm workout you will ever do.

How one man reversed his type 2 diabetes within six months.

Wiz Khalifa packed on 30 pounds of muscle.

26 One kettlebell x

112 Six Pack: UFC

champion Kamaru Usman’s favorite tech and gear.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ETHAN SCOTT

Grooming: Tracy Love

BODY

Personnel Question:

What’s your go-to stress buster?

TEAM

Richard Dorment EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jamie Prokell Creative Director Ellen Payne Executive Managing Editor

MEET THE

Nancy Berger “Deep breaths and switch to decaf.”

SVP, GROUP PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

Kathy Riess Group Executive Financial Director Leslie Picard VP, Sales Stacy Nathan Group Executive Director Kristina McMahon VP, Marketing Marnie Braverman, Marianne Civiletto Group Marketing Directors

EDITORIAL Ben Court, Mike Darling Executive Editors Ebenezer Samuel Fitness Director Ben Paynter Features Editor INTEGRATED ADVERTISING SALES Nojan Aminosharei Entertainment Director Andrea Foster, Hazel Jane Lyons, Julia Whalen, Paul Kita, Jordyn Taylor Deputy Editors Doug Zimmerman Executive Directors, East Coast Marty Munson Health Director Jee Ahn, Margot Becker Giblin Keith Nelson Jr. Senior Editor Executive Directors, West Coast “I like to Sean Abrams Senior Editor, Growth & Engagement Monique deBoer, Nicole Shuldiner poorly play Brett Williams Fitness Editor Sales Directors, East Coast video games Taylyn Washington-Harmon Health Editor Hope Agase, Nikki Giovannoni and then binge Evan Romano Culture Editor Sales Directors, Midwest intense Netflix Joshua St. Clair Assistant Editor Alexis Herder Sales Manager dramas.” Milan Polk Editorial Assistant Dawn Franco Direct Response Manager Andrew Kramer Kramer Media, Pacific Northwest ART Erin McDonnell McDonnell Media, Southeast Travel Kayla Kern Contributing Art Director Patty Rudolph PR 4.0 Media, Southwest Chloe Krammel Digital Designer Aliyah Wilson Executive Assistant to SVP Jose Carneiro Design Assistant Paulina Carrillo, Paulette Markarian, Jason Speakman Associate Digital Visual Editor “I stay off Angela Martinez, Emily Stevens Sales Assistants Matthew Montesano Digital Imaging Specialist my phone and Karen Ferber Business Manager go outside HEARST VISUAL GROUP Paul Baumeister Research Director for a walk.” Alix Campbell Chief Visual Content Director Chris Hertwig Production Manager Sally Berman Visual Director INTEGRATED MARKETING James Morris Contributing Visual Director Stephanie Block, Christina Cordero, Ariel Kaye, Scott M. Lacey, Dangi McCoy Melissa Macaleer Executive Marketing Directors Deputy Visual Directors Bonnie Blue Marketing Director Giancarlos Kunhardt Visual Production Coordinator Alesandra Ajlouni Associate Marketing Director Kelly Roma Marketing Director, Special Projects FASHION Rhyan Kelly Associate Marketing Director Ted Stafford Fashion Director Stephanie Rubino Senior Marketing Manager Christian Gollayan Senior Style & Commerce Editor Caroline Hall Associate Marketing Manager Dale Arden Chong Gear & Commerce Editor Grace McLoughlin Manager, Special Events Lulu Zeitouneh Creative Director COPY Paula Prado Senior Art Director Janna Ojeda Assistant Managing Editor “Reading Flannery Wilson Sales & Marketing Coordinator John Kenney Managing Copy Editor fiction! Escaping Alisa Cohen Barney Senior Copy Editor to a world that’s PUBLIC RELATIONS Connor Sears, David Fairhurst not my own for a Jaime Marsanico Senior Director, Public Relations Assistant Copy Editors bit always helps CIRCULATION me relax.” RESEARCH Rick Day VP, Strategy and Business Development Jennifer Messimer Research Chief PUBLISHED BY HEARST Judy DeYoung Assistant Research Editor Steven R. Swartz President & Chief Executive Officer CONTRIBUTING EDITORS William R. Hearst III Chairman Milo F. Bryant, Michael Easter, Frank A. Bennack, Jr. Executive Vice Chairman Philip Ellis, Garrett Munce, Zachary Zane Mark E. Aldam Chief Operating Officer VIDEO Dorenna Newton Executive Producer Tony Xie, Elyssa Aquino Senior Creative Producers Kyle Orozovich Senior Video Editor Janie Booth, Carly Bovina Associate Producers HEARST MEN’S FASHION GROUP Nick Sullivan Fashion Director Alfonso Fernández Navas Market Editor Rashad Minnick Fashion Associate ADMINISTRATION Caryn Kanare Editorial Business Coordinator Mariah Schlossman Editorial Business Assistant

“I don’t meditate, but a long run and a bowl of pasta have the same effect.”

HEARST MAGAZINES, INC. Debi Chirichella President, Hearst Magazines Group, and Treasurer Kate Lewis Chief Content Officer Catherine A. Bostron Secretary Gilbert C. Maurer, Mark F. Miller Publishing Consultants

HEARST MAGAZINES INTERNATIONAL Jonathan Wright President/Hearst Magazines International Kim St. Clair Bodden SVP/Global Editorial & Brand Director Chloe O’Brien Global Editorial & Brand Director, Young Women’s Group, Wellness Group, Enthusiast Group, Lifestyle Group

HOW TO REACH US: Customer Service: To change your address, pay a bill, renew your subscription, and more, go online to menshealth.com/service, email mhlcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com, or write Men’s Health Customer Service, P.O. Box 6000, Harlan, IA 51593-1500. Editorial offices: 300 W. 57th Street, New York, NY 10019. Feedback: mhletters@hearst.com. Licensing & Reprints: Contact Wyndell Hamilton, Wright’s Media, hearst@wrightsmedia .com. Absolute satisfaction guaranteed. Scent-free subscription available on request. From time to time we make our subscriber list available to companies that sell goods and services by mail that we believe would interest our readers. If you would rather not receive such mailings by postal mail, please send your current mailing label or exact copy to: Men’s Health, Mail Preference Center, P.O. Box 6000, Harlan, IA 51593-0128.

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

A DV I S O RY PA N E L

We know a lot about health and fitness, but we don’t know as much as the doctors, scientists, and trainers who keep us honest and up-to-date. BRAIN HEALTH P. Murali Doraiswamy, M.D.

CARDIOLOGY John Elefteriades, M.D. Foluso Fakorede, M.D. David Wolinsky, M.D.

DERMATOLOGY Brian Capell, M.D., Ph.D. Corey L. Hartman, M.D. Adnan Nasir, M.D., Ph.D.

EMERGENCY MEDICINE Jedidiah Ballard, D.O. Italo M. Brown, M.D., M.P.H. Robert Glatter, M.D.

ENDOCRINOLOGY Sandeep Dhindsa, M.D.

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

GASTROENTEROLOGY Felice Schnoll-Sussman, M.D.

INTEGRATIVE HEALTH Brenda Powell, M.D.

INTERNAL MEDICINE Keith Roach, M.D.

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

NUTRITION Dezi Abeyta, R.D.N. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., R.D. Brian St. Pierre, R.D., C.S.C.S.

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

SEX & RELATIONSHIPS Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., M.P.H. Shamyra Howard, L.C.S.W. Justin Lehmiller, Ph.D.

SLEEP MEDICINE W. Christopher Winter, M.D.

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

TRAINING

MEN’S HEALTH INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS Australia, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom, United States

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

MEN’S HEALTH

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

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

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

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT David Katz, M.D., M.P.H., FACPM, FACP Fatima Cody Stanford, M.D., M.P.H., M.P.A., FAAP, FACP, FAHA, FTOS Jeff Volek, Ph.D., R.D.

Delivering for E-Commerce

Delivering more e-commerce packages to homes across the country than anyone else.* And we do it 6, and often 7 days** a week, so your customers will keep coming back for more.

Get started at usps.com/everywhere *Based on parcels shipped by businesses to consumer residential addresses for the FY 2020. **Speciﬁc markets, restrictions apply.

HIT THE ROAD

On page 35, we talk about the return of the road trip. With travel coming back into our plans more and more, we wanted to hear from you: WHAT’S THE BEST ROAD TRIP YOU’VE EVER BEEN ON?

I live in my van so every day is an adventure. #adventure @geriatrictrip

In 2015, I quit my job. Drove from Richmond VA to Raleigh, Nashville, Dallas, Tucson, San Diego, and back. Midway through NM realized I had traveled hours without a single thought. @VicBosak

1st trip to Phoenix. I decided on the fly to go see one of my besties. Drove from Denver through Utah and couldn’t believe how great it was. @bufordnoninc

My son and I drove from Chicago to Detroit to see a metal band called Battlecross. We got to bond together for the first time in about 29 years. @BillBillesperry

Monthlong Cross Country with Girlfriend (who later became my wife). NY–SF with everything in between. Oceans, mountains, lakes, rivers, and desert. Hotels, motels, camping, and back seat of car. Was searching for change on floor to pay for last bridge toll. Time of our Lives!

@RanneyMatthew

Getty Images

@Kenneth96960132

The next one!!

MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

EDITOR’S LETTER

ASK THE E.I.C.

“ This might be an odd one, but WHICH IS

MOST BENEFICIAL FOR MENTAL-HEALTH GAINS—bulking,

shredding, or simply maintaining? ”

Y —@DonSotelo

YOU HAD ME AT “this might be an odd

one,” and it’s only odd because we’ve been talking about this very thing at MH HQ for the past few months. It started in the winter when Drew Ramsey, M.D., a psychiatrist and longtime member of our advisory board, and Marty Munson, who’s entering her fourth stellar year as health director here, began talking about candidates for the mentally fittest men in America. As part of that conversation, we started kicking around a bunch of compelling what-ifs: What if we could find the mentalhealth equivalents of the strength, cardio, and mobility exercises that make up so many gym routines? And what if we could lay out a set of strategies, as clear and easy to follow as a leg-day checklist, that would help guys develop mental-fitness regimens with specific goals or outcomes in mind? After all, you’re not gonna advise someone who’s trying for a halfmarathon PR to gain ten pounds of muscle, so why would you recommend stress-reduction

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

techniques to someone who’s struggling with, say, low self-esteem or depression? That, I told Marty, would be very cool. And so Marty did what Marty does: Along with writer Mike Kessler (and outstanding guidance from Dr. Ramsey), she spoke to dozens of experts who not only research mental health for a living but also spend their lives optimizing it. She then boiled down all that research into a feature that begins on page 94, and it’s a perfect distillation of something I’ve been trying to accomplish in my own four years at Men’s Health: convincing as many people as possible that mental health is health, that mental strength is strength. “Spending time on a hearty mental-fitness practice,” Marty and Mike write in their introduction, “can create more long-term benefits for your mind and life than virtually anything else you do. And no, meditation isn’t required.” Back to your question—which approach is most beneficial—the answer is: yes. All of them, depending on what kinds of #gains you’re after. If you’re addled and angry all the time, overcome by a world that doesn’t seem to give a shit about you, shredding down and working to ease your worries and woes (both perceived and real) is a great place to start. If you’re feeling weighed down and you can’t seem to muster a smile, bulking up through resilience and gratitude training might help lighten things up. I’m more in maintenance mode these days, mostly because I spent the darker days of the pandemic doing my own version of mentalfitness training: deep breathing when the stress of home-schooling my little kids and putting out a magazine drove me to the edge, identifying and neutralizing negative emotions before I picked a fight, and finally learning to open up about my vulnerabilities after decades of pretending I could handle everything on my own. (I was never actually on my own, of course. And it turns out lots of people do want to help.) Am I still stressed and angry sometimes? Absolutely. But I have the tools to catch and correct myself. As we talk more and more about mental health over the coming weeks—May is Mental Health Month, or so say the deities who decide such things—just try to remember that mental fitness is fitness. Your #gains are waiting for you.

Richard Dorment, Editor-in-Chief

ASK AN EXPERT

Q. Can

cannabis gummies really help me sleep better?

They might help you fall asleep, but they won’t make you sleep “better.” Short of extreme anxiety or restless leg syndrome, there’s no real reason to take any kind of sleep aid; they don’t make you sleep deeper. That’s because good sleep doesn’t mean eight hours. It means you feel rested the following day. The good news is people sleep better than they assume. (It’s actually okay if you take two hours to fall asleep or wake up multiple times during the night.) Gummies—either CBD or THC—haven’t been shown to improve sleep. They may help with anxiety and therefore help you fall asleep faster. If you have anxiety around sleep, talk to a cognitive behavioral therapist or a board-certified sleep physician. — W. CHRISTOPHER WINTER, M.D., MH SLEEP-MEDICINE ADVISOR

Have a question for Rich? Tweet us at @MensHealthMag with the hashtag #AskMHRich and ask away.

Allie Holloway

WORLD

GET ALMOST 100 HOURS MORE PROVEN QUALITY SLEEP PER YEAR* Quality sleep is proven to help boost energy, recovery and improve wellbeing. That’s why we created the Sleep Number 360 ® smart bed for the best sleep in the world. Designed to help you fall asleep faster and make a life-changing difference to your health and wellness.

SleepIQ Score ®

Adjustable comfort on each side

Automatically senses and responds to you

Personalized insights for even better sleep

15-Year Limited Warranty †

100-Night Trial‡

SCAN TO TAKE OUR BED QUIZ

*100 hours more proven quality sleep based on internal analysis of sleep sessions assessing sleepers who use multiple features of Sleep Number® products. Claim based on sleepers achieving over 15 more minutes of restful sleep per sleep session. †Limited warranty available at sleepnumber.com. ‡Restrictions and exclusions apply. Does not apply to adjustable bases, upholstered furniture, closeout/clearance or demo/ﬂoor model purchases or mattresses already exchanged under another In-Home Trial period. You pay return shipping. Refunds will be made to the original method of payment less original shipping/delivery fees. Visit sleepnumber.com for complete details. SLEEP NUMBER, SLEEPIQ, SLEEP NUMBER 360, the Double Arrow Design, and SELECT COMFORT are registered trademarks of Sleep Number Corporation. ©2022 Sleep Number Corporation

GOALS

2 STRONG!

MVP

MEMBER

MY FITNESS GOAL THIS YEAR

OF THE

MONTH

To keep up with my teenage sons.

IN MY GYM BAG A Theragun. At my age, recovery is key.

Hundreds of thousands watched MH’s “Train Like” video with rap legend 2 Chainz, who explained the full-body workout he’s been banging out for a decade. “It’s good for my mental health, my physical health, and my spirituality,” he said. Those viewers appreciated his candor and responded in the comments:

THE ONE FOOD I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT Buffalo burgers, although elk is a close second.

HOW I STAY MOTIVATED Watching my two boys compete in their respective sports. They give everything they have and never quit.

ANDY GALLARDO STATS AGE: 52

MY PUMP-UP JAM

LOCATION:

I’m a product of the ’80s, so early Van Halen like “And the Cradle Will Rock” and “Everybody Wants Some!!”

Santa Clarita, CA OCCUPATION:

Wellness director @What Ya Reading! One of the most realistic ones I’ve seen you guys post. Practical and realistic 3 times a week for an hour. @DWROD Ok CHAINZ!!!!! I love to see these boys getting it in!!!!

WHAT MAKES ME FEEL STRONG Anytime I’m sore or tired from a workout. It’s a reminder that I put in work to help me in the long run.

MEN’S HEALTH MVP members have access to some of the best stories—on health, fitness, entertainment, and more—on the entire Internet. Each month, we survey our MVPs and choose one who catches our eye. Sign up at join.menshealth.com and you could see yourself here one day.

Anthony Garcia I’m going to try that curl, press, & squat exercise

THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE Don’t let too much of yesterday take up today!

THE MEN’S HEALTH TWITTER POLL WHICH EARLY-SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER

ARE YOU MOST EXCITED TO SEE IN A THEATER? TOP GUN: MAVERICK (MAY 27)

31.8% @aware ma se kind WHEN YOU REALIZE THAT THESE TRAP STARS ARE NOT AS RECKLESS AS THEIR LYRICS THEY ACTUALLY BALANCED THEIR LIVES

@Eli Manny Sosa This pure motivation!! 2 chains giving all the game!! Balance, mental and physical health!!

(MAY 13)

1.1% THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (MAY 6)

49.6%

(JUNE 10)

17.4% Based on 917 responses to @MensHealthMag.

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION

Alamy (Doctor Strange). Courtesy Universal Pictures (Firestarter, Jurassic World). Courtesy Paramount Pictures (Top Gun). Beth Coller (Gallardo).

WORLD

IMPROVED SLEEP

BLUE LIGHT BLOCKING FRAMES D I F F E Y E W E A R .C O M / M E N S H E A LT H

LESS SUGAR NEVER TASTED SO GOOD

20 CALORIES

5G OF SUGAR

SCAN IT. TRY IT.

Spring-load your body with athleticism (and confidence) by jumping on the trampoline trend. BY MICHAEL J. LEWIS

I CAN’T STOP watching my feet. I’ve spent the past 15 minutes jumping up and down on a mini-trampoline, and each time my body rises upward, my eyes gaze down. If I don’t do this, I worry that my feet will land on the very edge of the tramp’s surface, I’ll lose my balance, and I’ll tumble off. It’s a new and uncomfortable feeling, but so is just about everything about my Bounce Essentials class at the Ness, a New York City group-fitness studio that focuses on a unique implement, the minitrampoline, which is about 40 inches wide

PHOTOGRAPHS BY GIACOMO FORTUNATO

MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

BODY

AIR MUSCLE

AIR TIME! and a foot off the floor. For 50 minutes, Shaina McGregor, the impossibly upbeat instructor for this madness, pushes me and the rest of the class through a series of ultra-intense trampoline drills, torching my glutes, calves, and abs. For years, I’ve thought of trampolines as more of a diversion than a workout, the kind of thing that belongs at Chuck E. Cheese. A trampoline workout? That’s a punchline, not a legitimate way to build muscle or blast fat. Studios like the Ness, though, are changing that perception— and filling a major gap in the fitness industry, too. Trampoline jumping is even an Olympic sport now. Trampoline workouts push you to find serious air time. This is different from simply jumping off the ground. When you leap off the ground, your body knows exactly what to expect, because you’re controlling how high you’ll go. When you jump on a tramp, the device actively propels you upward. This makes it easy to lose your balance, tipping backward or forward, so you need to use your arms and core muscles to find aerial equilibrium. This challenge is absent from gym workouts, which basically tether you to the floor to lift weights, and HIIT classes, which often trap you on cardio machines, with only occasional skater lunges and explosive squats. The Ness fills that void, driving you to elevate, then forcing you to make precise movements in the air. That doesn’t just make you a better athlete, says trainer and kinesiologist DeVentri Jordan. If you can control your body while airborne, you’ll be more stable when you’re balancing on one foot on the ground while playing with your kids or when you’re bounding up the stairs with a bag of groceries. “Your equilibrium is better when you’re on the ground because you’ve learned to balance better while in the air,” says Jordan, who trains NFL players. “Your eye-hand coordination is improved as well, because control is more difficult on the trampoline.” That—and an undeniable fun factor— is why trampolining is on the rise. My class at the Ness caters to both in-person and virtual clients, with five participants tuning in to the workout on Zoom. 16

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

Try these three moves from the Ness. Don’t have a mini-trampoline? Consider the JumpSport 350 Pro ($369; jumpsport.com)—or start by practicing each of the moves on flat ground. Either way, you’ll stealthily hone core strength and build athleticism, too.

SURF TWIST

Stand in the center of your trampoline, feet wide. Leap up, then twist your legs to the right while keeping your upper body square. Land, then jump again, this time landing with your knees facing forward. That’s 1 rep; do 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps per side to increase athleticism. No trampoline? Take smaller jumps on flat ground, focusing on landing with knees bent.

But to enjoy this experience, I have to get over the nerves. Thankfully, the more I jump, the more they dissipate. That’s partly because McGregor has given me other things to focus on. She teaches us three jumps early on. There’s the Ness’s version of a jumping jack, which has us jumping and trying to open and close our arms and legs twice before we land on the tramp. Like a classic jumping jack, this warms up my entire body. There’s a “ski” jump, which has us leaping with our legs together and landing with them off to the right or left on the tramp, building

calf strength and agility. And there’s the “scissor,” which has us jumping lightly, landing equally on two feet with one foot forward a few inches, then taking off again and landing with the opposite foot forward—an underrated ab challenge. I’m still watching my feet as I learn these. But after 25 minutes or so, I suddenly find that I’m looking straight ahead, waiting for McGregor to give us our next move. My brain finally understands that even if I “fall” from my trampoline, I won’t get hurt. “The whole balance thing,” says McGregor, “is mind over matter.”

BICYCLE CRUNCH

Lie with your back on the trampoline, hands behind your head, feet flat on the floor, knees bent. Tighten your abs and draw your right elbow and left knee toward each other. Return to the start and repeat on the other side. That’s 1 rep; do 3 sets of 12 to 15. No trampoline? Lie on the floor, or lie with your back on a pillow.

SINGLE-LEG BALANCE

Stand in the center of your trampoline, arms out to your sides, abs and glutes tight. Lower into a squat, then drive your left knee to hip height, balancing on your right foot. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds. That’s 1 rep; do 8 reps per side to build ankle strength and stability. Don’t have a tramp? Stand on a pillow instead.

All the jumping revs your cardio as well. My heart is racing, and my glutes and hamstrings are burning. Each landing on the tramp challenges these muscles to briefly decelerate my entire bodyweight, then accelerate it back upward. It’s all physically demanding yet more enjoyable than mindless sets of pushups. Not that we spend the entire class jumping. The workout has multiple “sculpt breaks,” periods when we dismount the trampoline and do strength exercises. During the core sculpt break, I lie with my back on the tramp, knees

bent, feet flat on the floor, hands behind my head. I crunch left elbow to right knee, taxing my obliques. Now I realize the versatility of the trampoline, which is currently acting like a stability ball or Bosu. I’m essentially doing a bicycle crunch, but on the tramp it challenges my lower back muscles even more. Five minutes of similar ab exercises follow, and my heart rate descends. Then it’s back to jumping, except now McGregor is pushing us to string together as many as eight consecutive jumps (think four straight skis,

then four scissors). Though I trust my balance now, my mind has to fight to keep the movements straight. In minutes, my heart is racing all over again. But then McGregor brings us back down from our trampolines for a few more ab exercises and a series of stretches. By workout’s end, yes, I’m sweating, but as I leave the class and McGregor asks me when I’ll be back, I smile and give her a quick answer: “Soon.” There’s new bounce and not a hint of fear in my every step, the result of surviving 50 minutes on a trampoline. MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

BODY

CORE CURRICULUM

THE NO-CRUNCH

CORE SHREDDER

You’ve ended plenty of workouts with situps to “target” your abs, but what if you could push all your core muscles during every exercise? This workout carves your core without a single “abs move.” BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, C.S.C.S. DIRECTIONS: Do this workout 3 to 5 times a week. All other days, go for a 10-minute walk or run. Use medium-weight dumbbells.

WORKOUT

DIRECTIONS: Do the moves in order. Rest 60 seconds between exercises.

(a)

GOBLET SQUAT TO HOVER REVERSE LUNGE

(b)

(a)

Start standing, holding a dumbbell at your chest, feet shoulder width apart. Push your butt back and bend your knees, lowering your torso until your thighs are parallel to the floor (a). Pause. Without standing fully, step back with your right leg. Lower into a reverse lunge, keeping your right knee off the floor (b). Return to squat position and repeat on the other side, then stand. That’s 1 rep; do 3 sets of 10.

(b)

WARMUP

INCHWORM TO SPIDERMAN LUNGE Start standing, then place your hands on the floor. With minimal bend in your knees, walk your hands into pushup position (a). Pause, then shift your right foot to just outside your right hand. Reach your right arm toward the ceiling (b). Reverse the moves and repeat on the other side. Do reps for 60 seconds, then rest 30 seconds. Do 3 sets. SHORTS BY GYMSHARK; SHOES BY UNDER ARMOUR. 18

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

2 ELEVATED PLANK ROW HOLD Get in plank position, left elbow on a bench, abs and glutes tight. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand, arm hanging naturally. Squeeze your shoulder blades, then row the dumbbell to your rib cage. Keep your hips and shoulders square. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Do not rest between sets. Do 3 sets. PHOTOGRAPHS BY T YLER JOE

F E A T U R E D T R A I N E R : E B E N E Z E R S A M U E L , C . S . C . S . , is MH’s fitness director and a veteran trainer who has worked with many pro athletes. He specializes in strength training.

P I C T U R E D H E R E : J O N A T H A N C H A D W E L L is a

Harlem-based personal trainer.

4 MIXED-RACK MARCH

HALF-BENCH SINGLE-ARM PAUSED PRESS

Lie on a bench, a dumbbell in your left hand directly over your left shoulder. Shimmy your torso so that your left glute, left shoulder blade, and spine are all off the bench. This is the start. Bend at the left elbow and shoulder, lowering the dumbbell to within an inch of your chest. Pause. Press back up. That’s 1 rep; do 10 per side. Do not rest between sets. Do 3 sets.

5 SINGLE-LEG GLUTE BRIDGE PULLOVER Lie with your shoulder blades on a bench. Your torso should form a straight line from shoulders through knees. Hold a dumbbell in both hands over your shoulders. Raise your right foot off the floor, keeping your hips and shoulders square. This is the start. Extend your arms behind your head as far as you can without letting your rib cage flare. Pause. Return to the start. That’s 1 rep; do 10. Repeat on the other side. Do 3 sets.

Stand holding a dumbbell in your left hand at your left shoulder and a dumbbell overhead in your right hand. Tighten your abs. March in place, making sure that on each step, your knee gets higher than your hips. Do this for 45 seconds, then rest 15 seconds. Do 4 sets. Reverse the dumbbell positions every set.

CARVE

YOUR CORE!

WANT MORE AB WORK?

Check out Samuel’s full program, EPIC ABS, by signing up for our Men’s Health MVP Premium membership. Scan the QR code below to get started.

MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

BODY

GEE WIZ

6 A.M. WITH...

WIZ KHALIFA

Seven years of training helped the rapper bulk up 30 pounds—and fall in love with the process of building muscle. BY MARK LELINWALLA an MMA gym in West Hollywood, five or six days a week. And he doesn’t just do the exercises; he studies them. “I feel like it’s a constant learning process,” he says. “When you’re training, you’re always picking up new methods or techniques, or you’re doing things better, whether it’s months in advance or three months after you start or three years after you start. I love that feeling.” Along with making and producing music, Khalifa is growing his side gigs: Khalifa Kush, a marijuana brand, and HotBox by Wiz Khalifa, an online delivery-only restaurant. He also churns out regular content for his massive social-media fan 22

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

base, which includes more than 35 million Instagram followers and more than 25 million YouTube zealots. But the moment he hits the gym, he forgets all that. Right now he’s working through a 90-minute session with trainer Zach Goetz. Khalifa starts by hitting the weights and doing bodyweight resistance exercises (like those inverted rows), and he ends the workout by redlining his heart rate with 30 minutes of kickboxing. The sweat forces his mind off his music and businesses, and that actually supercharges his creativity. “I love what it does for me mentally,” he says. “I get to clear my head, come up with different ideas.” PHOTOGRAPHS BY ETHAN SCOTT

BETWEEN SETS FAVORITE EXERCISE? “My favorite exercise of all is back squats, because I feel it the most and I was able to build my body based off how much I could squat.”

A typical Wiz Khalifa workout starts with exercises like deadlifts (bottom right), renegade rows (top right), and pullups (above), followed by kickboxing work that builds athleticism and doubles as cardio.

LEAST FAVORITE EXERCISE?

NO-WEIGHTS WIZ

SCAPULAR PUSHUP

Get in pushup position. Squeeze your shoulder blades. Then spread them and push the floor away. That’s 1 rep.

WALL ANGEL

NO EQUIPMENT? TRY THIS BODYWEIGHT BLAST, WHICH KHALIFA USES WHEN HE’S ON THE ROAD. DO 4 SETS OF 20 REPS OF EACH MOVE.

Stand with your back and arms pressed to a wall, arms bent. Slowly straighten your arms overhead. Return to the start. That’s 1 rep.

Khalifa also gets to gain size and strength. He’s up to 170 pounds, 30 more than he weighed when he first walked into the gym in 2017. Back then, music was his sole focus and nights partying were the norm. “I’ve been in the studio, smoking weed, and eating pizza for ten years,” he remembers thinking. “There’s no way that can be good for you. Look, it’s time to do something good for yourself.” So Khalifa strolled into Unbreakable for the first time, aiming to build muscle and get stronger. And a month later, he was training with Goetz, the gym’s director of strength and conditioning. “As slight as he was,” says Goetz, “he was

FIRE HYDRANT

Get on all fours. Lift your right knee from the floor and rotate it outward, aiming to get your shin parallel to your torso. Lower. That’s 1 rep.

a guy who was serious about his craft. I don’t think he ever does anything without the intention of being great at it.” Khalifa’s gym focus has led him to devise a strict training plan. He blasts legs and core on Monday, does chest and shoulders or arms on Tuesday, then attacks his back and core on Wednesday. He repeats the entire cycle Thursday through Saturday before taking Sunday off. He forges ahead even when he can’t make it to Unbreakable, bringing equipment with him when on tour, or training in his new home gym when recording sessions go into overtime. “It could be 2:00 A.M. and I just laid down a crazy-ass

“Least favorite is benchpressing, and the results are me fucking crying. When I do that shit, I shed a tear every time. But when I hit that wall and when I can’t get it up anymore, I know it’s working.”

FAVORITE CHEAT MEAL? “Any burger. I’ll settle for burgers any day.”

WHY DO YOU LOVE MARTIAL ARTS? “Martial arts is a lifestyle. It’s not about fighting or being the toughest, but mentally you have to be tough and push yourself.”

verse,” but he can still train, he says. “And I just wanted to get it in real fast. It’s right there.” Somehow, Khalifa says, he has to get his workouts in—if only because they’ll help him reach his new fitness goal: He wants another 15 pounds of muscle. “When it is there,” he says, “I’m going to be built like a house.” And he’ll tell you exactly how he got that far, too. MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

BODY

DIET DECODER

IS THE

MIND DIET A BRIGHT IDEA? This eating plan claims to delay neurological diseases— but the reality only kind of lives up to the hype. BY TAYLYN WASHINGTON-HARMON

THE VERDICT Even if you’re younger than 65 and don’t have a family history of neurological diseases, the MIND diet is a good way to eat, says St. Pierre. Having more fruits and vegetables, plus fish rich in omega-3s, is a recommendation smart dietitians always make, brain health aside. And if you can do that without the headache of counting calories, all the better.

WHAT IT IS

MIND is short for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. (Yeah, a doozy.) Basically, on the MIND diet you’re taking in bushels of brain-aiding grains, greens, berries, fish, and even a little wine. This isn’t some Internet fad, either—nutritional epidemiologist Martha Clare Morris, Sc.D., created the MIND diet based on her decades of brain research. Morris built it specifically to prevent Alzheimer’s in people 65 and older.

THE NOT SO GOOD

THE PROMISE

The MIND diet will delay brain decline and slow the onset of dementia, proponents say. By eating more foods loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and diseasefighting antioxidants and fewer inflammatory foods (butter, cheese, red meat), you’ll increase brainpower. And MIND is easier to follow than the Mediterranean diet alone, which can be restrictive and requires you to eat fish, like, every single day.

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

THE GOOD

“Food is one of the most important levers that we pull when it comes to brain health,” says Drew Ramsey, M.D., a Men’s Health advisor. A 2021 study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that people on the diet reduced their risk of cardiovascular conditions like hypertension, heart attack, and stroke.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHELSEA KYLE

Food styling: Pearl Jones. Prop styling: Jojo Li.

Most of the research on MIND has only shown a relationship, not a direct cause, says Brian St. Pierre, R.D., a Men’s Health advisor. So there’s no proof that the MIND diet alone is responsible for the brain benefits. And that part about eliminating all those inflammatory “bad brain” foods? “The evidence against eating reasonable amounts of minimally processed red meat and aged cheese is not strong,” St. Pierre says.

BODY

#TRYTHISMOVE

THE

POPEYE ARMS

BEGIN HERE

KETTLEBELL FLOW T pullups (biceps curls, too) is a strong, powerful set of foreforearms has other benefits: strength correlates with an increased risk of disease and early death. The tiny muscles tect your elbows from injury. Not that you need to spend every forearm muscle in 60 seconds with this kneeling, bottom-up kettlebell clean to twist. All at once, you’ll build forearm strength and stability—and get a Popeye-level pump, too. A bonus: You’ll have some fun and forge focus. —EBENEZER SAMUEL, C.S.C.S.

CLEAN UP

WHO’S THIS GUY?

AUSTIN DOTSON is a Californiabased personal trainer, a fitness content creator, and a member of the latest class of Men’s Health’s Strength in Diversity Initiative, which aims to elevate trainers from marginalized communities. Dotson hopes to inspire youngsters to get moving via his social channels. Follow him on Instagram (@adotty10), and expect to hear more from him on the Men’s Health platform in the coming months.

MAY • JUNE 2022

DO THE TWIST Keep your forearm perpendicular

PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHILIP FRIEDMAN

Enter the Irresistible Scope Zone for breath so fresh, people want in. Kills Millions of Bad Breath Germs

BODY

5-STAR REVIEW

BOTTLES

AT YOUR

SERVICE

Smart water bottles promise to do everything from filter your H2O to track your intake. We tested the high-tech vessels that scored five-star BY CHRISTIAN GOLLAYAN

SIDEKICK

THE TRUSTY

0 $7

TRAVELER

Philips GoZero Connect this

Your typical

The whole

PROS: Press a button on the cap to activate sterilization, which turns even fishy-tasting tap water fresh in flavor. That same function cleans the bottle itself—no dishwasher needed. CONS: We had to charge it after a few days, way more often than its advertised battery life promised. BOTTOM LINE: It’s a solid portable water filter. But at home, stick with a Brita. OUR RATING:

THE ALL -IN-ONE $6

Novaus Smart Drink Reminder Bottle

PROS: The bottle is lightweight, and the interface is built into the cap (no Bluetooth BS), so you can see the water temp and set reminders. CONS: We had to recharge it after a week, even though it boasts up to 30 days of battery life. (What’s with these things?) BOTTOM LINE: It’s basic, with subtle reminders. Not fancy but super functional. OUR RATING:

Chelsea Kyle (Novaus). Courtesy brands (2).

THE

chanel.com

MACY’S

EXCLUSIVE

Your 30-Day Eat Less Sugar Challenge OUR PAINLESS PLAN FOR DROPPING THE SWEET STUFF. In this MVP exclusive PDF challenge, every day, we’re challenging you to cut back just a little bit. You’re not craving it. You’re not hating it. And at the end of 30 days, you’re eating a lot less sugar. Ready to Get Started? Access your 30-day eat less sugar challenge here:

Become a Men’s Health MVP member and enjoy exclusive access to PDFs of our top-notch guides to fitness and nutrition, including this 30-Day Eat Less Sugar Challenge plan. Join today

menshealth.com/signup

BODY

TR ANSFOR-NATION!

HOW ONE GUY REVERSED

TYPE 2 DIABETES

IN SIX MONTHS BY AMY MARTURANA WINDERL

CHECKING INTO REHAB in 2012 saved Adam Sud’s

life in more ways than one. After ten years of substance abuse, Sud, then 30, weighed 350 pounds, and the health workup at rehab found he had type 2 diabetes. His A1C, a blood test used for diagnosis, was an over-the-top 12 percent (below 5.7 is normal). His fasting glucose was 390 (99 mg/ dL or lower is healthy). Doctors said he risked blindness and amputation, and they prescribed Metformin to control his blood sugar. “I realized that if I couldn’t get this under control, I might not even have five years ahead of me,” Sud says. He took action, losing 100 pounds, moving off meds, and reversing his diabetes within six months. Here’s how.

STEP 1 STEP 3

Sud’s strategy: FILL UP ON PLANTS “The only plant I ate was the occasional piece of lettuce on a McDonald’s burger,” Sud says of his “before” diet. He built himself a plant-based diet: oatmeal for breakfast; rice-and-bean bowls for lunch; combos of tofu, rice, and vegetables for dinner. All that fiber helped him steady his blood sugar and lose weight. In five months, he was off the meds and his A1C was 5.5.

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

STEP 2 Docs say: GET MOVING! Movement allows your body to use insulin more efficiently, says Dr. Freeby. Though there’s no exact amount that controls or reverses diabetes, “the key is keeping exercise consistent so that your body can keep functioning optimally long-term,” he adds. Sud’s strategy: TAKE STEPS He started with a 30-minute walk in the morning and another in the afternoon. As he shed pounds, he transitioned to running. Now he’s all about weightlifting. “While I appreciate the changes in my body, I love the journey of it—the act of going into the gym, putting in the work, and exploring potential in myself that I once thought was impossible.”

Docs say: PRIORITIZE SLEEP Poor sleep throws hormones, including insulin, out of whack. Plus, if you’re feeling like a zombie, you might be more likely to reach for those simple carbs. Sticking to a sleep/wake schedule can keep your body and blood sugar on their best behavior, Dr. Freeby explains. Sud’s strategy: DEVELOP A ROUTINE Before he got clean, Sud was often awake for days at a time. In a sober-living facility, he had to be up at 6:00 A.M., “so I’d design when I went to sleep based on when I wanted to get up. I wanted to be in bed by nine so I could fall asleep by ten,” he says. He’d wind down with a podcast or a familiar TV show. He found that more sleep at night led to better decisions throughout the day.

Courtesy Adam Sud

Docs say: WATCH CARBS, GET FIBER Diet is one of the strongest determinants of diabetes remission, says Matthew Freeby, M.D., director of UCLA’s Gonda Diabetes Center. There’s no one best eating plan, but replacing sugary, refined foods (soda, pastries, white bread) with foods high in fiber and nutrients (produce, whole grains) helps cut calories and manage blood sugar.

CBD FOR YOUR PAIN Everyone feels the hurt as you age, but CBD can help you deal with it.

ife really does fly by. Before I knew it, my 40s had arrived, and with them came some new gifts from dear ol’ Mother Nature—frequent knee pain, stress, low energy and sleeplessness. Now, I’m a realist about these things, I knew I wasn’t going to be young and resilient forever. But still, with “middle-age” nearly on my doorstep, I couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened. That is until I found my own secret weapon. Another gift from Mother Nature. It began a few months back when I was complaining about my aches and pains to my marathon-running buddy, Ben, who is my same age. He casually mentioned how he uses CBD oil to help with his joint pain. He said that CBD has given him more focus and clarity throughout the day and that his lingering muscle and joint discomfort no longer bothered him. He even felt comfortable signing up for back-to-back marathons two weekends in a row this year. That made even this self-proclaimed skeptic take notice. But I still had some concerns. According to one study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 70% of CBD products didn’t contain the amount of CBD stated on their labels. And, as a consumer, that’s terrifying! If I was going to do this, I needed to trust the source through and through. My two-fold research process naturally led me to Zebra CBD. First, I did a quick online poll—and by that, I mean I posed the CBD question on my Face-

book page. Call me old fashioned but I wanted to know if there were people whom I trusted (more than anonymous testimonials) who’ve had success using CBD besides my buddy. That is how I found out that Zebra CBD has a label accuracy guarantee which assures customers like me what is stated on the label is in the product. Secondly, I wanted cold hard facts. Diving deep into the world of CBD research and clinical studies, I came across Emily Gray M.D., a physician at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) Medical School and medical advisor for Zebra CBD who is researching the effects of CBD. Dr. Gray wrote “early results with CBD have been promising and we have a lot of research underway now. I’ve had several patients using CBD with good success. It’s important that you know your source of CBD and how to use it properly.” After hearing it from the doctor’s mouth, I returned to my online poll and was amazed by the number of close friends and family who were already on the CBD train. Apparently, I was the only one without a clue! And funny enough, a couple of friends who commented were using the same brand as my buddy—Zebra CBD. There was no consensus as to why they were using CBD, but the top reasons given were for muscle & joint discomfort, mood support, sleep support, stress and headaches, as well as supporting overall health & wellness. Eventually, even the most skeptical of the bunch can be won over. With a trusted CBD

source in mind, I decided to try it. When I viewed Zebra CBD’s selection online, I was impressed by its array of products, including CBD oils called tinctures, topicals, chewable tablets, mints and gummies. After reading on their website that all their products are made with organically-grown hemp, I ordered... and it arrived within 2 days! The first product I tried was the rub. Now this stuff was strong. Immediately after rubbing it on my knee, the soothing effects kicked in. It had that familiar menthol cooling effect, which I personally find very relieving. And the best part is, after two weeks of using it, my knee pain no longer affected my daily mobility. The Zebra Sleep Gummies, on the other hand, had a different but equally positive effect on my body. To take it, the instructions suggest chewing thoroughly. This was simple enough, and the taste was, well, lemony. After about 15 minutes, a sense of calm came over my body. It's hard to describe exactly; it's definitely not a "high" feeling. It's more like an overall sense of relaxation—and then I was out. Needless to say, I slept great and woke up refreshed. While it hasn’t been a catch-all fix to every one of my health issues, it has eased the level and frequency of my aches. And it sure doesn’t seem like a coincidence how much calmer and more focused I am. All-in-all, CBD is one of those things that you have to try for yourself. Although I was skeptical at first, I can say that I’m now a Zebra CBD fan and that I highly recommend their products. My 40s are looking up! Also, I managed to speak with a company spokesperson willing to provide an exclusive offer to MH readers. If you order this month, you’ll receive $10 off your first order by using promo code “MH10” at checkout. Plus, the company offers a 100% No-Hassle, Money-Back Guarantee. You can try it yourself and order Zebra CBD at ZebraCBD.com/Men or at 1-888-762-2699.

BODY

WA ST E NO T

HOW SMART IS A

SMART TOILET? Your waste might be more valuable than you think. BY MAGDALENA PUNIEWSKA

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

surface, Park’s smart toilet doesn’t look like anything special: On the outside, it’s pretty much like the one you already have at home. But look closer and it’s blinged out with LED lights, cameras, and even a fingerprint scanner on the handle. Together, all these tools will collect health data and alert you if something’s up on the corresponding app. There’s a lot of information we can dig up from urine and stool, but we’re just flushing it away, he tells me. That data could reveal basic health hiccups such as dehydration, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and kidney stones. And the info could also alert you to more serious stuff, like colon and prostate cancers, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and even Covid. And Park isn’t the only one after this data:

Bowl analytics are having a bit of an arms race at the moment. Researchers at Duke are also working on a smart toilet that will screen stool for biomarkers that can point to colon cancer, IBS, and other health issues, and the Japanese company Toto says it’ll have one on the market in a few years. All you have to do is, well, go about your business. But how much can we really learn when we let companies snoop in our poop? And do we need a fancy bathroom fixture to do it?

FROM GROSS TO GENIUS A couple of years ago, the smart-toilet concept was a tough sell. Park remembers his mentors brushing off the idea, saying it was interesting but ultimately too gross. Then, spurred by Covid-induced toilet-

Getty Images

HOW SOON IS

too soon for two strangers to look at pictures of poop together? Because Seung-min Park, Ph.D., and I just met 20 minutes ago, and we’re now scrolling through the “poop” subreddit. Park is an instructor and biomedical engineer in the urology department at Stanford University, and he’s also the lead inventor of a new kind of toilet that connects to an app and offers direct feedback on the health and makeup of your pee and poop—a smart toilet. The photos he’s showing me aren’t a gross way to make a point. Park fed nearly 30,000 of them to the artificial-intelligence technology that will be linked to the smart toilet so it could learn to recognize healthy versus unhealthy number ones and twos. On its brilliantly white and very clean

paper shortages, interest in bidets exploded, and all of a sudden people didn’t mind talking about toilet business. Turning more attention to the bowl is a boom in microbiome research that “has made it apparent just how important the organisms living in our gut really are,” says Joshua J. Coon, Ph.D., a professor of biomolecular chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Factor in interest in wearable trackers, and people started giving a shit about smart toilets. That included the formerly bathroom-shy science community Park encountered when he was first thinking about the concept. Last September, an editorial in a prominent journal, Nature Reviews, cited two of Park’s studies and made a bold demand: “We need to talk about poo. Everybody does it, and research into defecation and associated disorders deserves more attention.” It’s finally happening. Coon believes toilets could be the next frontier of health tracking and disease prevention. “If you think about what made smartwatches a success, it’s that you didn’t have to change what you do,” he says. “You just put it on and it’s always measuring for you.” Same with these; you get effortless continuous data. What goes down the pipes is already being mined for data by companies checking community wastewater for diseases like Covid. It helps them figure out where to bolster testing and helps forecast clinical resource needs. In your own bathroom, the data’s a lot more personal.

INTEL INSIDE Park’s smart toilet, a collaboration with the Korean company Izen, should be available early next year, priced in the $500 to $800 range. Here’s how the debut model will work: First, an LED strip turns on to light up the bowl, casting a bluish glow inside. When you go, cameras (which point down) capture the color, speed, and duration of the urine stream. If you poop, they’ll also take a picture of it. All this info is sent to a secure server, where Park’s AI technology compares it with thousands of images to figure out if anything’s up or not. The results get delivered straight to the toilet’s accompanying app. You’ll know if you have any symptoms of dehydration, constipation, a UTI, an IBD, or IBS. While the first version’s insights will be pretty limited, Park is aiming to make the next gen a little smarter. He envisions a toilet that has a urine test strip plus a way to sample stool to test for colon cancer,

There’s a lot of information we can dig up . . . but we’re just flushing it away. prostate cancer, and Covid. He thinks that a future version could give you diet advice, such as more fiber or less red meat. It could even test your microbiome. Yet the question remains: Do you need a smart toilet to do all this? “The reality is that you can get a lot of information by just peeking inside the bowl on your own,” says gastroenterologist and MH advisor Felice Schnoll-Sussman, M.D., at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. For example, it’s fairly easy to spot dehydration. Dr. Schnoll-Sussman says that urine darker than pale yellow is a sign to drink more water. Constipation is usually a nobrainer, too, she adds. “If you see hard, pebble-like stools, haven’t gone in a few days, or are straining to go, you’re probably backed up.” And if you’re already taking a

look, keep colon-cancer red flags in mind: thin, pencillike stools and bloody number twos. Park thinks his first-gen toilet will appeal to biohacker types or those with chronic gut issues. “People with IBS and IBD often have to monitor their stool, and the smart toilet can do that for them with more accuracy,” he says. Biochemist Coon still considers Park’s design a good start. “But there’s a limited amount of things that images can tell you,” he says. “I think the lion’s share of value is going to be in making molecular measurements that can tell you about health and lifestyle. We just need a lot more studies before that happens.” Maybe smart toilets are where smartphones started, going from not-sure-you-needed to gotta-have. Let’s just hope these don’t involve oversharing.

WHAT POOP TESTS CAN TELL YOU Until smart toilets arrive, a number of at-home kits can help you decode your doody.

COLOGUARD

Checks for colon cancer. It does a DNA analysis to see if cells that could indicate this cancer have been shed into your poop. It also detects traces of blood in the stool. You collect the, uh, info and send it off to a lab for testing. Note: Your doc has to write you an Rx, and if you choose this over a colonoscopy, you have to do it every three years.

DAYTWO

Directed at helping you keep your blood sugar under control, this $499 test uses research from the Weizmann Institute of Science to analyze how your body processes what you eat and make food recommendations based on that.

VIOME AND ZOE

These test your microbiome and provide diet recommendations (Viome, $199; ZOE, from $294). They aim to help you balance your gut microbes for energy and weight loss.

ACCESA LABS OVA & PARASITE STOOL TEST

If you want to know whether a parasite is behind your gastro issues, you should probably see a doc rather than order a test online. But if you want to go direct, it will cost you $89 from Accesa Labs.

MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

OFFLINE AND OFF-ROAD IS THE BEST WAY TO GO.

GO EXPLORE

CHANGE FOR THE BETTER

THE

D N A R G

Getty Images (SUP). Courtesy brand (vehicle).

es. s i u r and c shioned s t h flig l’-fa tures o o t d y o t i liabil ble? A go six adven ar. e r n dds u at is relia d. These e right c a d i Cov now wh pen roa y with th eo uk iall h c o t y e n t p Bu bile o eady—es N ROM E Y N o m auto urnkey r THRY A K Y B are t

THE

MIDWEST

SUP IN THE U.P.

For a week of adventure, start in Detroit and make your way to Isle Royale National Park, Michigan: Your first stop along the route is Oscoda to rent a SUP for the Au Sable River. Stay at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island to run the Western Hemisphere’s longest suspension bridge (five miles). Chase waterfalls at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on the way to Marquette for all-day Mexican breakfast at Bodega, then drive to Mount Bohemia. Rent a trailside yurt before ferrying to Isle Royale National Park to hike and bike.

The Vehicle: Ford Maverick. Conquer all terrain in the hybrid truck that’s rugged but roomy in cabin and bed space.

MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

LIFE

ROAD TRIP!

SURF AND TURF

For wave chasing and camping, start in Seattle and make your way to Jackson, Wyoming: Book a room at the cushy Thompson Seattle hotel to sneak in an early-morning waterfront run to Pocket Beach before leaving on I-90. Cross Oregon into Idaho for Boise Whitewater Park to surf or kayak dammed-up portions of the Boise River (pictured above). Spend the night at Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve. After refueling with a noodle bowl at Glow Sun Valley, in Ketchum, set out for Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve. Camp on a former lava field under ridiculous stars and climb the Inferno Cone at sunrise. Enjoy a night in a plush tent or cabin at Linn Canyon Ranch, in Victor.

CLIMB, SOAK, REPEAT For elevation and relaxation, start in Salt Lake City and make your way to Scottsdale, Arizona: Stay at the Evo Hotel, with its climbing gym and indoor-outdoor All Together Skatepark (pictured left). Then journey to Moab, Utah, for a hike through the surreal Arches National Park. Wind your way through the La Sal Mountains into Colorado for the trippy CampV, a motel/art project that feels like Burning Man, except you’ll actually sleep. Next, trek through Anasazi archaeological sites at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument before driving through Four Corners en route to Castle Hot Springs. The sprawling (kid-free!) resort has mineral hot springs and the Via Ferrata cable-climbing course, a three-and-a-half-hour mountaineering expedition to scale a 400-foot peak. Ahead of reaching Scottsdale, feast on achiote cauliflower and maitake mole mushrooms at Terras restaurant at the Civana resort.

The Vehicle: Toyota Tundra. This new full-size pickup is comfortable and classy that’s what it’s there for.

Courtesy Boise Convention & Visitors Bureau/McCullough Photography (surfers). Brian Finke (treehouse). Gabe Roth/PhotoFusionMedia (skate park). Courtesy brands (vehicles).

The Vehicle: Subaru Outback Wilderness. Who needs a full-on SUV when you’ve got a wagon with 9.5 inches of ground clearance and all-wheel drive?

BASS, BEER, AND SHAVASANA

For brews and views, start in Philadelphia and make your way to Charlottesville, Virginia: Okay, fine, Rocky the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, but then travel to Delaware for Woodland Beach, with its long fishing pier. Stay at the Dogfish Inn on the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal, near Dogfish Head brewery (pictured left). Fuel up in Rehoboth Beach at GreenMan Juice Bar & Bistro and head west to Front Royal, Virginia, to cruise Skyline Drive, through Shenandoah National Park. About halfway through is Old Rag, a 9.5-mile, fiveto six-hour, brutally awesome hiking loop with a 2,683-foot elevation gain. Recover in Charlottesville with a heated candlelight Yin class at the Elements Hot Yoga & Wellness.

The Vehicle: Jeep Grand Wagoneer Series III. They took the classic 4x4 and buffed out everything—22-inch wheels, night-vision mode, leather-trimmed massage seats, and even a front-console cooler bin.

TREK AND TRAILS

For racking up miles, start in New York City and make your way to Waitsfield, Vermont: Biking and running power this trip, thanks to the recently completed Empire State Trail. Pack sneakers or a bike for out-and-back sections up the Hudson Valley Greenway Trail (pictured above). Stop at Hutton Brickyards, in Kingston, with its riverfront barrel saunas. Resume the Champlain Valley Trail to the Champlain Canal through woods and wetlands from Fort Edward to Fort Ann. In Plattsburgh, ferry to Grand Isle, Vermont. Drive Burlington’s waterfront and into the Mad River Valley for fishing and canoeing on snowmelt-fed rivers.

The Vehicle: Lincoln Navigator. Take in the lodges in a mobile one of your own. This powerhouse features seating for eight, adaptive suspension, and a hands-free navigation option.

BEACH & BARN

Getty Images (runner, kayak). Courtesy brands (vehicles).

For food and fitness, start in Merced, California, and make your way to Humboldt County, California: Set a base with dinner at Rainbird, in Merced. Head to Napa’s Stanly Ranch, which features a massive gym called Fieldhouse. Then cruise on Highway 1 and stay at the Redwood Riverwalk, in Humboldt County. Visit the Foggy Bottoms Boys to make your own meal using the farm’s harvest. Or trek up the Klamath River to paddle a dugout canoe (left) with Yurok guides.

The Vehicle: Land Rover Defender 90. The stout two-door off-roading legend returns with a short wheelbase for easy in-town or crowded-

MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

PRESENTED BY LR HOME Zanthia Cream/Gray/Gold Striped Hypoallergenic Polyester 20 in. x 20 in. Throw Pillow; SKU: #304956915

HOME DECORATORS COLLECTION

HOME DECORATORS COLLECTION Cream Woven Textured 18 in. x 18 in. Square Decorative Throw Pillow; SKU: #315368802

DECOR MADE EASY

NO-SWEAT DECORATING

POLY AND BARK Goa 36 in. Natural Medium Round Wood Coffee Table; SKU: #312437214

You love the idea of a modern man cave—but the hunting and gathering of decor? Not so much. That’s why The Home Depot is here to do all the heavy lifting for you, from curated furniture and accessory picks to the easiest-ever shopping experience… right from your phone.

CLICART Misty Morning Light by Leah Rei 72 in. x 54 in.; SKU: #316343199

SCAN TO SHOP HOME DECORATORS COLLECTION

Get it all done in a few simple clicks.

Old Treasures Beige 9 ft. x 13 ft. Area Rug; SKU: 206729220

COSMOLIVING BY COSMOPOLITAN White Stoneware Modern Decorative Vase (Set of 3); SKU: #303165064

VISIT HOMEDEPOT.COM/DECOR FOR EXCLUSIVE BRANDS, ROOM INSPIRATION, AND FREE AND FLEXIBLE DELIVERY* *Free shipping on select items over $45

LOOKS LIKE STYLE ELEVATED. From the very first piece to the finishing touches, The Home Depot® has endless options to make decorating doable and complete any room in your home. Shop homedepot.com/decor to get free and flexible delivery* with easy returns. *Free delivery on select items over $45

HOME FRONT

THE

SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR

NEW

PLANT DADS

Studies show houseplants boost productivity and relaxation. But they can feel like a project. Plant stylist (real thing!) Hilton Carter helps you pick the right one for any home. BY CHRISTIAN GOLLAYAN

SHOW

STOPPER

BIRD OF PARADISE This huge tropical plant pulls a room together, even if it requires near-daily attention. A space with lots of light and humidity is key. $99; 1800flowers.com / WATER

WINDOWSILL WONDER

BATHROOM BUDDY POTHOS PLANT

CHINESE EVERGREEN

If you travel frequently and/or forget to water plants, go with a low-maintenance one, Carter says. Just pop the thing next to a window. It needs at least six hours of sunlight daily. $69; bloomscape.com LIGHT / WATER

Also known as devil’s ivy, this plant grows in low light. Put one near a window in your humid bathroom—the steam will help it thrive even if you fail to water it. From $35; shopgreendigs.com LIGHT / WATER

Don’t let its delicate look fool you: This flowering plant is durable and can grow in most environments. Place it in indirect to low light and fertilize it once or twice a year. From $55; shopgreendigs.com LIGHT / WATER

PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

TOUGH GUY

Courtesy brands

LIGHT

Reshape Your Life Bluetooth Indoor Training Bike with MyCloudFitness App

S H O P T H E F U L L C O L L E C T I O N AT M E N S H E A LT H . C O M / W H M H F I T N E S S

LIFE

30/10

LAMB OF

THE GODS! Lamb is in season now, so it’s easier than usual to enjoy tons of flavor. The meat delivers more than 30 grams of muscle-building protein, and two sides lend 10 grams of gut-filling fiber.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALEX LAU

T H E E X P E R T : A N D R E W C A R M E L L I N I is the chef and owner of

numerous restaurants, including Carne Mare, the Dutch, and Locanda Verde. He contributed this issue’s 30/10 recipes.

THE PROTEIN

THE FIBER

30g

A six-ounce serving of roasted leg of lamb provides about 40 grams of protein for 392 calories. It’s also an excellent source of blood-boosting vitamin B12 and immunity-aiding zinc.

10g

Serve both of these sides with the lamb to hit your goal of 10

BU Y IT Leg of lamb can come bone-in, which won’t grill well. Ask the butcher to debone the leg and butterfly the cut. They’ll slice it in half about threefourths of the way through, so it opens like a book and grills in half the time.

Marinated Leg of Lamb with Garlic, Yogurt, and Fennel W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Using the tip of a sharp knife, score the lamb fat every 1 inch on a diagonal. Repeat in the opposite direction to create a diamond pattern. 2. In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, garlic, fennel, red-pepper flakes, 1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper, and harissa. Add the lamb and massage the mix into the meat. Marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 24. 3. Preheat your grill to high, indirect heat. Season the lamb all over with 2 tsp salt and allow it to come to room temperature. 4. Place the lamb fat side down on the grill. Sear, about 2 minutes; turn 45 degrees. After 2 more minutes, flip and repeat. Move the lamb to indirect heat, close the lid, and cook till a meat thermometer stuck into the thickest part hits 145°F, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the lamb and let it rest 10 minutes. 5. Move the meat to a cutting board and slice thin on a diagonal. 6. In a small bowl, combine the juice from the plate with the balsamic and thyme. Pour over the sliced lamb, sprinkle with sea salt, and serve. Feeds 4

Food styling: Tyna Hoang. Prop styling: Sophie Strangio.

LB BONELESS LEG OF LAMB, BUTTERFLIED 1 CUP GREEK YOGURT 2 GARLIC CLOVES, ROUGHLY CHOPPED 1½ TBSP WHOLE FENNEL SEEDS, ROUGHLY CHOPPED ¼ TSP CRUSHED RED-PEPPER FLAKES 1 TSP HARISSA 1 TBSP BALSAMIC VINEGAR 1 TSP FRESH THYME LEAVES

Nutrition per serving: 401 calories, 36g protein, 5g carbs (1g fiber), 25g fat

30g 10g

HANG ON. WHAT’S 30/10?

Experts agree that eating 30 grams of protein helps build muscle and 10 grams of fiber fills you up at mealtime. For more, head to MensHealth.com/30-10.

Red Cabbage Coleslaw place 1 red cabbage, sliced. In a pot, boil 2 cups red wine and 1 Tbsp maple syrup till syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour into a bowl and mix in 2 Tbsp red-wine vinegar, 2 tsp grainy mustard, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp canola oil, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and ¼ tsp ground caraway seeds. Pour this over the cabbage; toss. Add the berries; 1 cup walnuts, chopped; ¼ cup parsley, chopped; and 2 Tbsp celery leaves, chopped. Feeds 4

Citrus and Oregano In a microwave-safe dish with high sides, add 1 lb asparagus, woody ends trimmed; 2 Tbsp olive oil; and ¼ cup water. Top with the zest from 1 orange, cover the dish, and microwave on high, 2 minutes. Rotate and cook until bright green, about 2 minutes. Allow to cool; drain. In a large bowl, add the segments and juice from 2 oranges; ¼ cup olive oil; 2 scallions, finely chopped; 1 tsp dried oregano; and the juice from 1 lemon. Season and stir. Transfer the asparagus to a serving dish. Top with the orange mix; sprinkle with salt. Feeds 4 MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

LIFE

BEER!

taste. They’re the fat-free cheeses of the beer world. But I’m online with an open mind and mouth. I take a sip, finding a complex, caramel-tinged malt character. “It’s clean and crisp,” Aikman says after I sip, and “there’s a slight hint of citrus at the end.” I also note an appealing bitter snap, leading to Aikman’s favorite thing about his lager, the “fast finish with no aftertaste,” he says. I typically find celebrity-driven alcohol brands to focus more on marketing than memorable flavor. Eight might be the rare product to negate that narrative. Even prepandemic, wellness-minded beers were starting to find footing in the market. The past few years further magnified health concerns, and sales of nonalcoholic and some ultra-low-calorie beers have continued to climb. There are plenty of wellness beers out there now, but Aikman is vying for the chance to contend. His move: Eight has a smidge fewer calories than many of the other players in the field, but way more flavor. “I don’t view this as a celebrity brand,” Aikman says. “I view it as a great alternative to what’s in the marketplace. And it just so happens that I’m involved.”

THE NEW

BREW CREW First came hard cider. Then hard seltzer. Now Big Beer is betting on a new wave of ultralight “wellness” brews. Gadget play: Even NFL legend TROY AIKMAN is getting in on the game. BY JOSHUA M. BERNSTEIN

COVID HAS PERFECTED my routine

for drinking over Zoom. I place my laptop in a sunny nook of my Brooklyn apartment, foliage filling the background, and angle the camera just downward enough so that no one sees up my nostrils when I sip. One day last winter, my routine was the same, except (and this is kind of a big except) that I was talking to legendary former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aik46

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

man. The ESPN broadcaster was wearing a black T-shirt at home in Highland Park, Texas, and curious about my beer. I was drinking his beer, Eight. Aikman helped develop the beer and named it after his old jersey number. Eight is a light (4 percent ABV) lager and contains just 90 calories and 2.6 grams of carbs per 12-ounce serving. Most light lagers are invariably bland, delivering scant calories at the cost of

linked, from game-day tailgates to Super Bowl commercials. Starting in 1973, Miller Lite has cast countless sports figures in its advertisements, including boxer Joe Frazier, baseball broadcaster Bob Uecker, and NFL legend John Madden. Aikman himself even starred in several ads for Miller Lite. Being an alcohol pitchman “isn’t anything new,” says Lester Jones, the chief economist for the National Beer Wholesalers Association. “Celebrities have always been there.” Think of Bob Dylan and Heaven’s Door whiskey, George Clooney and Casamigos tequila, or Sweetens Cove bourbon from Andy Roddick and Peyton Manning. Branded beers are less common, especially among athletes. Most notably, retired NBA star Dwyane Wade partnered with Anheuser-Busch to launch the nonalcoholic brand Budweiser Zero in 2020. But nobody has been in the game longer than Aikman. He first entered the beer business in Tulsa in 1986, the summer after his sophomore year at the University of Oklahoma. Prior to transferring to UCLA, Aikman delivered beer for a Miller distributor and maintains industry ILLUSTRATION BY RYAN OLBRYSH

Shutterstock (beer glass, sky, barley field, hops). Adobe (football field). Getty (football game). Courtesy Eight (remaining).

SPORTS AND BEER have long been

These are no ordinary clouds They’re gathered by equatorial trade winds over a remote Fijian island, 1,600 miles from the nearest continent. Their rain ﬁlters through volcanic rock, gathering more than double the electrolytes* for a soft, smooth taste. What these clouds make isn’t just water. It’s FIJI Water.

FIJIWater.com *Compared to the other two top premium bottled water brands. © 2022 FIJI Water Company LLC. All Rights Reserved. FIJI, EARTH’S FINEST, EARTH’S FINEST WATER, the Trade Dress, and accompanying logos are trademarks of FIJI Water Company LLC or its affiliates. FW220331-09

BEER!

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

Which means that an opportunity does exist for Eight. “In the beer business, you need to be an inch wide and a mile deep,” Campbell says. “Texas is a big inch.” Back on Zoom, Aikman tells me he’s excited yet anxious. “My hope is that the brand stands by itself,” Aikman says. “People don’t see Eight and think, Oh, yeah, that’s Aikman’s beer. It’s just a great-tasting beer.” Drive, talent, and hard work earned the NFL icon three Super Bowl victories and a high-profile announcing perch. But in brewing, determination doesn’t always ensure success. Aikman’s involvement, organic ingredients, and glitzy nutritional specs might entice drinkers once; repeat purchases will be a matter of taste. And if that happens, Aikman says, you might just be able to grab a taste of Eight outside the Lone Star State.

THE WELLNESS BEER

FLAVOR PLAYOFFS!

We taste-tested the best healthy-ish nonalcoholic beers on the market.

ROUND 2

CHAMPIONSHIP

ROUND 2

WINNER

BOULEVARD BREWING CO. FLYING START BOULEVARD BREWING CO. FLYING START

BRAVUS OATMEAL DARK BRAVUS OATMEAL DARK

BOULEVARD BREWING CO. FLYING START

BROOKLYN BREWERY SPECIAL EFFECTS

GRÜVI STOUT

SAMUEL ADAMS JUST THE HAZE

HEINEKEN 0.0 HEINEKEN 0.0

BRAVUS OATMEAL DARK

SAMUEL ADAMS JUST THE HAZE

RIGHTSIDE BREWING CITRUS WHEAT

CLAUSTHALER

ROUND 1

ROUND 2

ROUND 1

Courtesy brands

CRAFT IPA

ROUND 1

WILD CARD

Ultra, another light-beer titan, increased sales 5 percent to about $3 billion. (For context, sales of hard seltzer totaled $4.6 billion and nonalcoholic beer netted $236 million in 2021.) And some contenders in the wellness-beer market are exiting the field. In 2020, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. indefinitely paused its fitness-focused Sufferfest brand and Molson Coors Beverage Company discontinued Saint Archer Gold. “We dove into arguably the most competitive category,” Aikman says. Eight launched in February of this year in Texas, a test market home to nearly 30 million people. Over the past decade, craft beer has grown fiercely local, with drinkers supporting favorite hometown breweries the way they do local sports teams. Draw a Venn diagram with Dallas Cowboys fans and beer drinkers and the circles should overlap considerably.

DARK

relationships to this day. A friend introduced Aikman to Doug Campbell, formerly a president of Brewery Ommegang, and they discussed bringing to life Aikman’s “better for you” beer. Campbell became a founder and enlisted former Ommegang brewmaster Phil Leinhart and the Department of Food Science and Technology at Oregon State University. The team spent two years performing research and development to pinpoint Eight’s recipe. They skipped the rice, corn, and syrups of most mass-market light lagers and focused instead on organic barley and Germany’s purportedly antioxidant-rich Hallertau Taurus hops, which loom large in the beer’s sales pitch. The words “organic grains” run up the sleek cans. “If you have a choice between organic or not organic, I think now people understand that organic is probably a better way to go,” Aikman says. As one of four founders, Aikman supplies Eight with his star wattage, number, and personal vision for the light-lager category. The beer is intended for the type of beer drinkers Aikman refers to as “early risers.” He’s hoping it catches on with peole who have a sense of hustle when it comes to taking care of their health. Peolple like himself. At 55, Aikman maintains a rigorous regimen centered on weight training, cardio, meditation, ample sleep, and a plant-rich diet. He’s a lifelong light-lager drinker; it’s his go-to beverage for Friday-night friend hangs and celebrating successful broadcasts with his TV crew. To him, most light lagers compromise “all that work and effort that’s put in during the week,” he says. There’s a grain of truth to the whole “wellness beer” claim. All hops contain xanthohumol, a potentially beneficial antioxidant compound, but beer isn’t a health beverage, as hard as marketers try to make it one, experts say. “Adding a serving of blueberries to your diet is going to have a bigger impact than switching to organic hops in the beer that you’re drinking,” says Chris Mohr, Ph.D., R.D., a Men’s Health nutrition advisor. Still, the idea of a healthier, less fattening beer persists—and it may be one big reason light beers are still king of the $44 billion beer category. Bud Light remains America’s best-selling beer, earning $4.9 billion in 2021, according to the marketresearch firm IRI. And even though sales of Bud Light slid 7 percent last year, Michelob

IMPORTED

LIFE

BLUE LIGHT GLASSES Beat screentime fatigue, improve sleep and look sharp doing it in a pair of blue glasses made by Men’s Health. menshealth.com/eyewear

PLANT-BASED EATING DIET This definitive guide to going plantbased includes 100+ recipes packed with all the nutrition and energy to fuel great workouts. menshealth.com/ plantbasedcookbook

90-DAY TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGE: ABS Sculpt the abs you’ve always wanted with an expert-designed program that sets you up for success with a step-by-step plan of attack. menshealth.com/90daychallenge

UNSTOPPABLE AFTER 40

OWN YOUR MORNING

Discover the secrets to avoiding injury, supercharging energy and never slowing down with this ultimate guide to staying fit for life. menshealth.com/ unstoppable

Rise and truly shine with a life-changing new start-your-day plan. Find clarity and happiness with this inspiring guide. womenshealthmag. com/ownyourmorning

LIFE

STYLE

THE

ACCELERATOR

Aptly named after Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna, TAG Heuer’s special-edition watch houses a tachymeter that measures speeds up to 249 miles per hour. (You know, for when you’re rounding the bend in Monaco or, uh, Milwaukee.) Its sleek stainless-steel case and calf-leather band make it practical for non-race scenarios, too. Formula 1 x Senna Special Edition ($3,550) by TAG Heuer.

G I N K R O W S E CH

T A W

!) duty. e l p i r t ble (or u o d l l u all p

THE

DIVING SQUAD

Today’s dive-watch-inspired timepieces are stacked with heavy-duty features. One can dive down to 1,000 feet, one can measure your time underwater, and one even has a 70-hour power reserve. From left: Duck watch ($650) by Shinola; Seastar 1000 ($375) by Tissot; Endurance Pro Ironman ($3,350) by Breitling; Pelagos FXD ($3,900) by Tudor; M2 Seven Seas Titanium ($1,900) by Tutima Glashütte; Prospex Built for the Ice Diver U. S. Special Edition ($1,400) by Seiko.

MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

LIFE

STYLE

THE

TREND-PROOF STAPLE

THE

POWERHOUSE

This lean, mean military watch shot to fame in World War II. Bulova has updated it with a clean stainless-steel case and a brown nylon strap that’s intended to hold up for another century. Pull out the crown to activate its hack feature, which lets you stop the watch’s hour, minute, and second hands at will to set time easily.

This mechanical watch is made with hard-as-hell ceramic, which is lighter and more scratch resistant than stainless steel, so it’ll last. Under the hood, the Big Bang has an impressive 42-hour power reserve, meaning less winding and more wearing . . . maybe forever?

Aviation Hack A-11 ($450) by Bulova.

THE

WORKHORSE

Big Bang Original Ceramic Blue ($16,100) by Hublot.

Alpina’s dressy pilot watch has a water-resistant, stainless-steel case that’s rugged enough for daily wear. Plus, its handsome face tells the hour, minute, second, and date, ensuring you’ll always be on time. Startimer Pilot Heritage Automatic ($1,295) by Alpina.

SCENT TIP

THE

PERFECTIONIST

Zenith’s new sports watch boasts midcentury style, with a classic tricolor design, a high-contrast dial, and a 41mm diameter that looks awesome on basically everyone. More than just a pretty face, the Chronomaster has tenth-of-a-second timing functionality. Chronomaster Sport ($10,500) by Zenith.

Timeless style is best complemented with a timeless fragrance—the woodsy fresh scent of Vince Camuto HOMME INTENSO ($90; vincecamuto .com/fragrance) will serve you well into the future. Presented by Vince Camuto Men’s Fragrances

MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

THE STREAM

IRRESISTIBLE CHARM

CONTINUOUS FAILURE Nicolas Cage is back! Except he never left—he just started bombing in an endless stream of B movies. And that makes his comeback something to root for. BY JORDAN CALHOUN I BOUGHT MY FIRST MOVIE in 1998: a DVD of Face/Off. Along with Con Air and The Rock, Face/Off completed a trifecta of movies that made Nicolas Cage one of the biggest actors of the decade. I memorized each movie, repeating “Put the bunny back in the box” and “I can eat a peach for hours.” But just a few short years after hits both critical (Leaving Las Vegas, for which he won an Oscar) and cult (Raising Arizona), his films began to alternate between forgettable (Ghost Rider) and iconically bad (Bangkok Dangerous). The 2010s only brought worse projects. Cage presumably took these roles to pay debts accrued from lavish shopping sprees, which included an island, mansions, a haunted house, and a dinosaur skull. His career trajectory—his ’90s box-office hauls competed with those of Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, and Leonardo DiCaprio—was looking as explosive and fiery as the crash landing in Con Air. Except Cage never stopped working. As he said in an 2006 interview for the British newspaper Metro: “I don’t want to sit around by the pool luxuriating with a margarita.” Where his peers excelled with star power, gloss, and charm, he hustled. To date, the guy has more than 100 actor credits to his name. And he’s only 58. You could argue that Cage is like other ’90s action stars, but his charisma and eccentricity have helped him age better. Stallone is still resting on his Rocky laurels, JCVD is doing Minions 2, and Steven Seagal is, well, Steven Seagal. 54

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

Yes, according to Rotten Tomatoes, more than half of Cage’s work is “rotten,” but that’s what makes you want to root for him. In a way, Cage works just like us. Not every day is a great day at work. In fact, most days at work (especially these days) are shitty days at work—and isn’t that reality? Cage churns through the grind until he experiences a moment of greatness. He’s no Cruise, Roberts, or DiCaprio, but when was the last time you rooted for them? Cage isn’t alone in his ability to work through failure. Rotten Tomatoes has also splatted more than 50 percent of Owen Wilson and Adam Sandler movies in the past decade. We root for those guys, too, because they have hustle. But there is something special about Cage. Those of us who cheer for him don’t just love him despite his failures. We love him

because he fails—and because he seemed to stop caring what anyone thinks of that a long time ago. So the man is free to do what he wants and have a ton of fun doing it. Whenever I’m frustrated at work, I can hear Castor Troy in Face/Off say, “You’re not having any fun, are you?” When Cage found his resurgence with last year’s acclaimed Pig and now his twist-filled, self-referential The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (out April 22), he made me remember why my DVD copy of Face/Off barely had time to cool 24 years ago: Work can be fun if only we take ourselves a little less seriously. Just like Nic. J O R D A N C A L H O U N is the editor in chief

of Lifehacker, a contributing writer at The Atlantic, and the author of Piccolo Is Black, out April 26.

Mantras from the Mind of Nic Cage

PEOPLE weather ARE

vanes. WE don’t

ALWAYS BLOW IN THE SAME

Nobody

WANTS watch

perfection.

I ALWAYS PUT MY

family first,

AND HAVE TURNED

down some

ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITIES AS

a result of that.

direction.

—THE GUARDIAN —THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE

—THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Alamy (The Rock, National Treasure, 8MM, Adaptation). Courtesy Neon (Pig). Katalin Vermes/Lionsgate (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent). Courtesy RLJE Films (Prisoners of the Ghostland). Getty Images (remaining).

THE

are que psoriasis la p h it w g in v People li ey make, like th s e ic o h c e th rethinking

e k a t y e h t s g the hu

The Ɯ /01 +! ,+)6 pill approved by the FDA to treat all severities of plaque psoriasis

APPROVED USE Otezla® (apremilast) is a prescription medicine used to treat adult patients with plaque psoriasis for whom phototherapy or systemic therapy is appropriate. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION ,2 *201 +,1 1 (" 1"7) &# 6,2 /" ))"/$& 1, -/"*&) 01 ,/ 1, +6 ,# 1%" &+$/"!&"+10 &+ 1"7) ǽ 1"7) + 20" ))"/$& /" 1&,+0Ǿ 0,*"1&*"0 0"3"/"ǽ Stop using Otezla and call your healthcare provider or seek emergency help right away if you develop any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction: trouble breathing or swallowing, raised bumps (hives), rash or itching, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat or arms. 1"7) + 20" 0"3"/" !& //%" Ǿ + 20" Ǿ +! 3,*&1&+$Ǿ "0-" & ))6 4&1%&+ 1%" Ɯ /01 #"4 4""(0 ,# 1/" 1*"+1ǽ Use in elderly patients and the use of certain medications with Otezla appears to increase the risk of complications from having severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. Tell your doctor if any of these conditions occur. 1"7) &0 00, & 1"! 4&1% + &+ /" 0" &+ !"-/"00&,+ǽ In clinical studies, some patients reported depression, or suicidal behavior while taking Otezla. Some patients stopped taking Otezla due to depression. Before starting Otezla, tell your doctor if you have had feelings of depression, or suicidal thoughts or behavior. Be sure to tell your doctor if any of these symptoms or other mood changes develop or worsen during treatment with Otezla. ,*" - 1&"+10 1 (&+$ 1"7) ),01 ,!6 4"&$%1ǽ Your doctor should monitor your weight /"$2) /)6ǽ # 2+"5-) &+"! ,/ 0&$+&Ɯ +1 4"&$%1 ),00 , 2/0Ǿ 6,2/ !, 1,/ 4&)) !" &!" &# 6,2 should continue taking Otezla. ,*" *"!& &+"0 * 6 * (" 1"7) )"00 "ƛ " 1&3" +! 0%,2)! +,1 " 1 ("+ 4&1% 1"7) ǽ Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines. %" *,01 ,**,+ 0&!" "ƛ " 10 ,# 1"7) include diarrhea, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, tension headache, and headache. These are not all the -,00& )" 0&!" "ƛ " 10 4&1% 1"7) ǽ 0( 6,2/ !, 1,/ ,21 ,1%"/ -,1"+1& ) 0&!" "ƛ " 10ǽ ")) 6,2/ !, 1,/ ,21 +6 0&!" "ƛ " 1 1% 1 ,1%"/0 6,2 ,/ !,"0 +,1 $, 4 6ǽ ")) 6,2/ !, 1,/ &# 6,2 /" -/"$+ +1Ǿ -) ++&+$ 1, " ,*" -/"$+ +1 ,/ -) ++&+$ 1, /" 01#""!ǽ ,2 /" "+ ,2/ $"! 1, /"-,/1 +"$ 1&3" 0&!" "ƛ " 10 ,# -/"0 /&-1&,+ !/2$0 1, 1%" ǽ Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-332-1088. )" 0" 0"" /&"# 2** /6 ,# /"0 /& &+$ +#,/* 1&,+ ,+ 1%" +"51 - $"ǽ *Only for eligible commercially insured patients. Subject to restrictions and limitations. © 2022 Amgen Inc. All rights reserved. 11/21 USA-407-81792

1"7) &0 !&ƛ "/"+1 %,& " It’s a pill—not an injection, biologic, or cream. ! " #

0 Co-Pay Program ,1"7) ǽ ,* ,- 6

"" "#,/" +! ƞ "/ -%,1,0 ,# *,!"/ 1" 1, 0"3"/" -) .2" -0,/& 0&0 - 1&"+10ǽ

Brief Summary of Prescribing Information Rx Only OTEZLA® (oh-TEZ-lah) (apremilast) Tablets This information does not take the place of talking to your doctor about your medical condition or treatment. If you have any questions about OTEZLA® (apremilast), ask your doctor. Only your doctor can determine if OTEZLA is right for you. What is OTEZLA? OTEZLA is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of adult patients with plaque psoriasis for whom phototherapy or systemic therapy is appropriate. It is not known if OTEZLA is safe and effective in children less than 18 years of age. Who should not take OTEZLA? You must not take OTEZLA if you are allergic to apremilast or to any of the ingredients in OTEZLA. What is the most important information I should know about OTEZLA? OTEZLA may cause serious side effects: Allergic Reactions, sometimes severe, occurred in some patients taking OTEZLA. Stop using Otezla and call your healthcare provider or seek emergency help right away if you develop any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction: trouble breathing or swallowing, raised bumps (hives), rash or itching, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat or arms.

! " #$ $ %& % ' () ' *) +,#-.

Diarrhea, Nausea, and Vomiting have been reported in some patients taking OTEZLA and in some cases, patients required hospitalization. Most events happened within the first few weeks of starting OTEZLA and occurred more in patients taking medications to reduce blood pressure or in those patients 65 years of age or older. Tell your doctor if any of these occur. Depression was reported by some patients taking OTEZLA. Before taking OTEZLA, tell your doctor if you have had feelings of depression, suicidal thoughts, or suicidal behavior. You, your caregivers, and family members should be alert for the development or worsening of depression, suicidal thoughts, or other mood changes. If such changes occur, contact your doctor. Your doctor will determine whether you should continue taking OTEZLA. Weight loss occurred in some patients taking OTEZLA. Your doctor should monitor your weight regularly. If unexplained or significant weight loss occurs, your doctor will consider whether you should continue taking OTEZLA. Some medicines should not be taken with OTEZLA as they may make OTEZLA less effective. Tell your doctor about all the medications you take, including prescription and nonprescription medications. What should I tell my doctor before taking OTEZLA? Tell your doctor if you: • have had feelings of depression, suicidal thoughts, or suicidal behavior • have any kidney problems • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if OTEZLA can harm your unborn baby. • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if OTEZLA passes into your breast milk. What are the side effects of OTEZLA? • OTEZLA may cause serious side effects. See “What is the most important information I should know about OTEZLA?” • Common side effects of OTEZLA are: – diarrhea – nausea – headache – upper respiratory tract infection – tension headache These are not all the possible side effects with OTEZLA. Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers you or does not go away. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. General Information about OTEZLA Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in their package inserts. This is a Brief Summary of important information about OTEZLA. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more complete product information, or visit otezla.com, or call 1-844-4OTEZLA (1-844-468-3952). © 2014-2021 Amgen Inc. All Rights Reserved.

WORKING IT OUT WITH A

REAL-LIFE

TED LASSO

The past two years almost broke my spirit. “Almost” because of Nike’s Coach Bennett, an aw-shucks real-life guru who ostensibly coaches running—but really coaches life. By Mickey Rapkin

I WAS OUT FOR A RUN last year, pushing hard uphill in

Los Angeles and just hating life. My shirt was pit-stained and my legs sore when a bus driver shouted out from his window, “I want whatever vitamins you’re taking!” I pumped my fist in the air, a polite thank-you for the encouragement, when homeboy shivved me: “You run like a young person!” That’s what the past two years have felt like: You’re out in the world, just trying to make it through the day, when someone or something

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MERON MENGHISTAB

MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

MIND

LASSO-ED

comes along to remind you how tenuous this all is. For the record, I’m 44, but the pandemic has made me feel much older. Last year, a big project of mine—something personal—fell apart and I was having trouble moving on. I was still taking care of myself, still running four times a week, but I was dreading it, which was new for me and also a bit scary. What do you do when your forever crutch stops working? Salvation came from an unlikely place: Nike Running’s global head coach, Chris Bennett, an often corny, relentlessly positive guy who is based out of Portland, Oregon, but available in your pocket through the Nike Run Club app. Bennett didn’t know it, but he and I had been running “together” for more than a year—he and I and thousands of other people. Listeners to the audio-guided runs on the app spiked 250 percent in 2021 over prepandemic numbers, according to Nike, and it was clear why. Bennett, whose friendly, mustachioed face shows up in the app, has the enthusiastic, can-

do attitude of a first-year grad student on too much cold brew—a pied piper in short shorts. And in that way, he reminds me of another humble coach with a bushy mustache who went viral during the pandemic: TV’s Ted Lasso, that plucky midwestern football coach played by SNL vet Jason Sudeikis. Like Lasso, Coach Bennett tackles big thoughts about life through sports (“Every finish line is a starting line in disguise”) and about who you want to be, alongside stories of triumph and setbacks remixed with some truly terrible dad jokes. Yet his Nike podcast somehow made me love running again—and pushed me to run faster. I’m nearing a six-minute mile, and I got there by following his advice, which often meant running slower and definitely taking days off. “Sometimes the best run is no run,” Coach likes to say. I gravitated toward Bennett’s more thoughtful runs, like “Breaking Through Barriers,” about learning to confront both real and imagined roadblocks, and

Coach Chris Bennett has a way of helping you work your life and your run.

the “Suckcess Run,” for those days when everything just sucks. I found myself coming back (again and again) to his “One Hour Run,” which starts with a helpful reminder that low motivation is better than no motivation. The fact that you got off the couch was a win, Bennett said. He wanted me to run easy and go easy on myself, holding forth on strength—both physical strength and also the strength to “pick yourself up and catch what’s being thrown at you.” Coach didn’t care about the numbers on your watch. He was going for something more holistic. Somewhere along the way, Bennett became a lifeline for me, and likely plenty of his more than 100,000 Instagram followers, and I started asking myself a few Big Questions. Namely, what is it about Bennett that makes him so compelling—and what is it about me that keeps me coming back?

DIAL ME IN, COACH IN JANUARY, I reached out to Bennett, who agreed to go on an actual live, Omicron-safe run with me via the magic of Zoom—him on some trails near his home in Oregon, me on the east side of L. A. There was something I needed to know that I couldn’t get from his recordings. I was running again (and running well, thanks to him), but my morale was stuck in the toilet; those long runs, which had always helped me out of a low moment, weren’t doing the trick. I wanted to know how Bennett remained so gosh-darn positive in a world that was so obviously not. Was his sunny disposition a put-on or something genuine? Why had positivity worked for so many people, and (this is embarrassing) could it work for me? His answer definitely wasn’t anything I expected. “All right,” Bennett said. “I’m doing the one thing I tell people never to do, which is, you know, run, hold their phone, and be talking on it.” And we were off. Bennett, who grew up in Holmdel, New Jersey, started telling me about running for UNC at Chapel Hill for five years. “Why go to college for four years when you can go for five?” he once mused. (I should say here: This run was already surreal, his voice so instantly recognizable but live.) After graduation, Bennett ran with the Nike Farm Team—a booster club for postcollegiate athletes competing on the national stage—and he hoped to make

DAD BODS? SHRINK YOUR GUT How To Drop Weight At Any Age eing a trainer, bodybuilder, and nutrition expert means that companies frequently send me their products and ask for my stamp of approval. Most of the time I dive into research, test the product out, and send the company honest feedback. Sometimes, however, I refuse to give the product a try, because frankly, the ingredients inside aren’t real food. And I’d rather drink diesel fuel than torture my body with a chemical concoction. Like my father always said, “What you put inside your body always shows up on the outside.” One protein shake that I received, that will remain nameless, was touted as ‘the next big shake’ but really had a list of gut destroying ingredients. Everywhere I read I saw harmful artificial ingredients, added sugars, synthetic dyes, preservatives and cheap proteins; the kind of proteins that keep you fat no matter how hard you hit the gym, sap your energy and do nothing for your muscles. Disappointed after reviewing this “new” shake, I hit the gym and bumped into my favorite bodybuilding coach. This guy is pushing 50, has the energy of a college kid, and is ripped. So are his clients. While I firmly believe that the gym is a notalk focus zone, I had to ask, “Hey Zee, what protein shake are you recommending to your clients these days?”

Zee looked at me, and shook his head. “Protein shakes are old news and loaded with junk. I don’t recommend protein shakes, I tell my clients to drink INVIGOR8 Superfood Shake because it’s the only all natural meal replacement that works and has a taste so good that it’s addicting.” Being skeptical of what Zee told me, I decided to investigate this superfood shake called INVIGOR8. Turns out INVIGOR8 Superfood Shake has a near 5-star rating on Amazon. The creators are actual scientists and personal trainers who set out to create a complete meal replacement shake chocked full of superfoods that—get this— actually accelerate how quickly and easily you lose belly fat and builds even more lean, calorie burning muscle. We all know that the more muscle you build, the more calories you burn. The more fat you melt away the more definition you get in your arms, pecs and abs. The makers of INVIGOR8 were determined to make the first complete, natural, non-GMO superfood shake that helps you lose fat and build lean muscle. The result is a shake that contains 100% grass-fed whey that has a superior nutrient profile to the grain-fed whey found in most shakes, metabolism boosting raw coconut oil, hormone free colostrum to

promote a healthy immune system, Omega 3, 6, 9-rich chia and flaxseeds, superfood greens like kale, spinach, broccoli, alfalfa, and chlorella, and clinically tested cognitive enhancers for improved mood and brain function. The company even went a step further by including a balance of pre and probiotics for regularity in optimal digestive health, and digestive enzymes so your body absorbs the high-caliber nutrition you get from INVIGOR8. While there are over 500 testimonials on Amazon about how INVIGOR8 “gave me more energy and stamina” and “melts away abdominal fat like butter on a hot sidewalk”, what really impressed me was how many customers raved about the taste. So I had to give it a try. When it arrived I gave it the sniff test. Unlike most meal replacement shakes it smelled like whole food, not a chemical factory. So far so good. Still INVIGOR8 had to pass the most important test, the taste test. And INVIGOR8 was good. Better than good. I could see what Zee meant when he said his clients found the taste addicting. I also wanted to see if Invigor8 would help me burn that body fat I’d tried to shave off for years to achieve total definition. Just a few weeks later I’m pleased to say, shaving that last abdominal fat from my midsection wasn’t just easy. It was delicious. Considering all the shakes I’ve tried I can honestly say that the results I’ve experienced from INVIGOR8 are nothing short of astonishing. A company spokesperson confirmed an exclusive offer for Men’s Health readers: if you order INVIGOR8 this month, you’ll receive $10 off your first order by using promo code “MEN” at checkout. If you’re in a rush to burn fat, restore lean muscle and boost your stamina and energy you can order INVIGOR8 today at Invigor8.com or by calling 1-800-958-3392.

the Olympic trials. But in 2000, he missed the mark by a hair. The next time trials came around, a calf injury abruptly ended his competitive career right before the race. “I remember my first run after I’d gotten hurt,” he told me, wind in the mic. “It was 57 seconds long. My calf felt fine, but the idea of running for six miles was so overwhelming that I stopped. I walked back.” The problem, he said, was he had no purpose. Bennett would find meaning again in coaching—back at the same New Jersey high school where he’d once run track and cross-country, he explained as we passed mile one, me breathing pretty heavily on an incline. “Stay light and dance up the hill,” he told me. The Bennett way of thinking— “This is about running. This is not about running”—was honed on the job, and it involved taking a 360 degree approach to his student-athletes. He saw them as human beings first, people who happened to be carrying lots of stuff on their shoulders. “I don’t believe you can say, ‘Leave all of that crap behind you when you get on the starting line.’ All of that comes with you. And it comes with you on every single run. You can lie to yourself. But you’re gonna spend a lot of energy being like, ‘Ignore, ignore, ignore.’ ” Rivals would sometimes accuse him of being “too nice” to his athletes. His response was anything but. “I was like, ‘We don’t lose,’ ” he said. To him, that thinking was laughable: “I yell at my athletes and it works. My question is, If you didn’t yell, would it work better?” I had to stop running for a beat here. That’s how hard this hit me. Because—and maybe you’re like me—I’d been pretty harsh with myself these past two years, wondering what I was doing wrong. Why hadn’t the next project hit? Why was that person so successful? We are our own best coach, Bennett once said. And I was failing myself. (I did it again!) I picked up the pace—hitting mile four—but I found myself thinking about 60

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

THE QUOTABLE COACH:

LASSO VS. BENNETT

call you “fam.” Bennett’s purpose was forged from disappointment— THE TWO COACHES SHARE PHILOSOPHIES—AND MUSTACHE STYLES— an unexpected superpower that he THAT ARE SO SIMILAR IT CAN BE HARD shares with Ted Lasso. TO TELL THEM APART. TEST YOURSELF! Bennett, who joined Nike in WHO SAID IT: LASSO OR BENNETT? 2014, initially put off watching the Emmy-winning show, having 1. “You gotta remember: Your assumed the whole Ted Lasso thing body is like day-old rice. If it ain’t was some kind of spoof. But when warmed up properly, something the first season aired in 2020, he real bad could happen.” almost immediately began fielding messages and tweets from friends and fans noting the similarities. 2. “Free throws. They ain’t “Eventually my wife and I startsexy. But they win games.” ed watching it—she’s a coach as well—and the connection we had 3. “ ‘All I Want Is You’ is with it . . . it was just us stopping it as one of my favorite songs, and we’re watching being like, Hell yeah! I feel like if it’s one of your That’s the way you do it!” favorite songs . . . we’d make The link is more than the muspretty great friends.” tache; it’s that their philosophies are so in sync. Where another coach might dismiss a locker-room bully 4. “You know what the as irredeemable, these two recognize an undiagnosed childhood trauma. And by listening to and It’s got a ten-second healing that pain, one could become a better athlete and, more important, a better person. What was the pandemic if not a global trauma? “The other thing I appreciated could have made a joke there about Ted Lasso,” Bennett told me about soles. But I didn’t. on our run, “was that he’s not at Not saying I deserve credit home dancing on marshmallows,” for that . . . not saying which is a very Bennett way of sayI don’t deserve credit, either.” ing that Lasso isn’t divorced from reality; he’s rooted in it. Bennett’s no different, which frankly was a relief: “I get asked a lot of times, ‘How do you stay positive all the helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves time?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t.’ It’s a on and off the field.” struggle sometimes.” Every finish line is a starting line in disguise. Before we wrapped up at five miles, Coach Bennett said something that made me feel better than I had in months—about that project of mine that had died and how long it had taken me to get back up, and maybe even about what that bus driver had said to me about getting older. Bennett’s own professional setbacks. To “When things don’t turn out the way you be so close to the Olympic trials and have want them to,” he said, “it’s okay to be it slip away? To remember a 57-second devastated. It is okay for your heart to be run from nearly two decades ago like it broken. The broken heart is proof that was yesterday? I realized his positive this mattered. And if you allow yourself outlook wasn’t born from some woo-woo, the grace to heal, then you’re going to Goop-gift-bag pop psychology—which come back better.” has become so popular, especially with You hear that, bus driver? the kind of coaches who shout at you and

Meron Menghistab (Bennett). Courtesy Apple TV+ (Lasso).

LASSO-ED

ANSWER KEY: 1. Lasso / 2. Bennett / 3. Bennett / 4. Lasso / 5. Bennett / 6. Both! This is technically a Ted Lasso quote, but Coach Bennett told me almost the exact same thing.

MIND

EPIC ABS m

IN JUST 90 DAYS!

Get Ultimate Abs Challenge and Transform Your Body! Q STEP-BY-STEP EXERCISE INSTRUCTION Q TIPS AND TRICKS TO MAXIMIZE RESULTS Q WORKOUT LOG TO TRACK YOUR PROGRESS

MensHealth.com/90DayAbs

MIND

UPGRADES

BUILD

SUPER BRAIN!

Taking care of your gray matter involves a spectrum of strategies. Luckily, there’s some simple stuff you can do right now to improve how you think and feel every day. BY GREGORY SCOTT BROWN, M.D.

MEDS AND THERAPY are great and all,

but a growing body of evidence-based science has found that the small things you do in a day— basic self-care—are also strong medicine for your mind. This is especially good to tune in to now, when the demand for therapy is growing but it’s hard to get in. See a mental-health pro if you need to, of course, but know that the five self-care strategies here are essential for achieving mental wellness. Here’s how to get started in each.

FEED YOUR MENTAL HEALTH THE EFFECT OF food on our minds and mood is so powerful

FIND YOUR “RELIGION” I LOVE TO ask my patients, “What do you think

about spirituality?” because it almost always leads to deeper discussions about connection, purpose, and the meaning of life. Often they will smile politely and say, “Oh, but I’m not religious.” Embracing your spirituality doesn’t have to be about religion (although it can). It means accepting that you have value and that your life matters. It also means acknowledging that your life is part of something bigger than yourself. That connection can offer a sense of calm and a sense of peace. GET STARTED: Prayer and meditation are common ways to tap into your spirituality. I also advise patients to engage in another kind of spiritual practice: selfless service. That can be as simple as walking dogs at a shelter or volunteering at a soup kitchen. Even small acts of kindness have been shown to increase optimism and feelings of being in control. Selfless service can also foster a greater sense of connection with people around you.

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

that more and more psychiatrists are adopting a “food is medicine” motto. Nutrient-dense foods—especially fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish—provide the building blocks to keep cells, neurotransmitters, and other molecules in the brain working optimally and possibly prevent or help manage depression and anxiety. GET STARTED: Make comfort foods more nutrient dense. You don’t need to give up these foods—just make them the foundation to which you add other foods. For instance, add salmon to pasta for an omega-3 fix; mix kale with a smoothie or add it to mac and cheese. And if you make one big swap, opt for salad or roasted vegetables instead of fries. (See the MIND diet on page 24.)

4-7-8 WHO DO YOU APPRECIATE? WHEN WE focus on our breath, especially in moments of emotional

distress, the mind and the body have no choice but to respond in a positive way. Heart rate and blood pressure drop, and the brain is flooded with calming neurotransmitters like GABA. GET STARTED: Try 4-7-8 breathing. Simply inhale through your nose as you silently count to 4, hold your breath for a count of 7, then exhale for 8. Repeat over the course of several minutes. The numbers are a bit arbitrary, but what’s important is that a longer exhale can help activate the parasympathetic nervous system. ILLUSTRATION BY SPOOKY POOKA

MOVE YOUR BODY FOR YOUR MIND MOVEMENT HAS many benefits, includ-

ing the release of endocannabinoids and BDNF, which help protect our brains from the ravages of stress. Despite numerous studies trying to identify the “right” kind of movement to improve mental health, the evidence shows that the best physical activity is one you’ll do on a regular basis. GET STARTED: I follow the lead of the European Psychiatric Association and recommend that patients do 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity a week for mental wellness. If you’re not already near that level, don’t overhaul your regimen—just find ways to add small chunks of activity into your day. For example, stretch every morning when you get up, or do ten jumping jacks before every meeting. Make movement a nonnegotiable part of your day. Whatever way you can and want to move is the right way to do it.

FLEX YOUR SLEEP MUSCLES WHEN YOU don’t sleep enough, the brain

Jason Raish (Dunn)

can’t do its housekeeping of removing cellular waste products. The resulting abundance of debris in the brain can eventually result in excess inflammation. Inflammation, as seen in study after study, exacerbates depression, anxiety, and a host of other mental-health conditions. GET STARTED: Very few of us can go to sleep based solely on willpower; you need to invite relaxation in. That could be through a ritual like taking a shower, reading a book, or journaling. If anxiety keeps you up, try progressive muscle relaxation. Lying in your bed, breathe in and tense a muscle group for about ten seconds. When you exhale, completely release those muscles. Take a few breaths and move on to the next muscle group. Start with your hands; move up your body and then down. Some people do three rounds—whatever it takes to help your body relax.

GREGORY SCOTT BROWN, M.D., is a psychiatrist, a Men’s Health advisor, the founder and director of the Center for Green Psychiatry, and the author of The Self-Healing Mind: An Essential Five-Step Practice for Overcoming Anxiety and Depression, and Revitalizing Your Life. Copyright © 2022 by Gregory Scott Brown, M.D.

ANDY DUNN IN 2016, ANDY DUNN, a cofounder of Bonobos, was on top of the world. Then a manic spiral forced him to confront head-on the bipolar-disorder diagnosis he’d been denying. He was hospitalized and charged with an assault due to that spiral. (Charges were dismissed.) In his new book, Burn Rate: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind, he reveals how denial nearly cost him everything and how he stays in balance now. —MARTY MUNSON

7:00 A.M. (ISH) WAKE UP

The number-one thing that helps me manage bipolar disorder is not getting up until I’ve had sufficient sleep. It’s important to acknowledge that this is where privilege fits in. Because I was headsdown building a company through my 30s, we have the means to employ a nanny who makes this possible. Without this, I’d have to approach my mental health differently.

8:00 A.M.

SHARE THE DATA After playing with my 18-month-old son, I send a sleep report to my wife, doctor, mom, and sister. Lack of sleep is both a cause and a symptom of mania, so this offers transparency into my rest and helps keep me in my safe zone.

11:00 A.M.

LET THE MEETING CIRCUS BEGIN I make it a point not to have meetings before 11:00 a few days a week. I need a few hours to get my bearings. The reality of being an entrepreneur,

a husband, and a dad is that life isn’t going to be super balanced. It’s about managing the complexity. I use Superhuman, a tool that enables me to kick emails into the future so my in-box becomes a to-do list, without the clutter and stress of seeing just how much there is.

2:00 P.M.

DO A CHECK-IN Two days a week, I see my psychiatrist via Zoom. I share whatever I’m thinking, regardless of what it is. As he often tells me, “There is no such thing as a thought crime.”

4:30 P.M.

STEP AWAY I don’t feel guilty about ending the day early if I’m fried. I might go to a restaurant by myself or play tennis. In finding time in the day-to-day rat race to unplug, I often feel the most optimistic and liberated, and the best things come to me.

6:00 P.M.

FATHER-SON TIME If it’s my night to give my son a bath and put him to bed, it slows my

brain. Sometimes I’m done with the day after that. More likely, I’ll go back and plow through Slack and email.

10:00 P.M.

BEDTIME, ON A GOOD NIGHT At my best, I go to bed at the same time as my wife and read a physical book or listen to a podcast. If I’m anxious about not sleeping, I have an antianxiety med ready to go and sleep aids if need be.

3:00 A.M.

BEDTIME, SOME NIGHTS Some nights, the pull of the screens is too strong, be it work, news, sports, or blitz chess. I’m so darn competitive that if I start playing six-minute games, sometimes I’ll play 30 in a row. If I’m still up at 3:00 A.M., I take a strong sleep med. If there are a couple short nights, I take an antipsychotic to insulate me from mania. That might sound like a lot of meds, but I don’t sweat it. I’ll do everything in my power to stay in bounds, and there’s no shame in needing medication to be a part of that.

FACE OFF! BEST MASK

ZITSTICKA PORE VAC Effortlessly suck dirt and grime from deep within your pores and leave your face looking clean, clear, and way less oily. (Even if you’re only 15.) $33

20 2 2 FEATURING

NEXT-GEN BADASS PRODUCTS

AND STARRING

NEXT-GEN BADASS

ADEMY STAR) (SLASH EUPHORIA AND UMBRELLA AC

JAVON “WANNA” WALTON.

BY GARRETT MUNCE AND THE EDITORS OF MH PHOTO GRAP HS BY PETER YANG

BEST FOR YOUR FACE BEST FACE SUNSCREEN

NEUTROGENA HYDRO BOOST HYALURONIC ACID MOISTURIZER SPF 50 This ultralight cream is packed with hyaluronic acid, which hydrates your skin. It’s also absorbed fast so your face doesn’t look slightly ghostly. $18 BEST CLEANSER

CETAPHIL DAILY FACIAL Formulated for “combination to oily, sensitive skin,” it blends B vitamins with glycerin, a mixture that neutralizes grime and excess oil without stripping out natural moisture. $14

BEST RETINOL BEST MOISTURIZER

DR DENNIS GROSS ALPHA BETA Exfoliating acids fight that fatigued look, while squalane and ceramides strengthen the skin. $68

SKIN-CARE TOOL

PETER THOMAS ROTH PRO STRENGTH VITAMIN A|C|E This multitasking cream/serum might have a high level of the skin-bolstering, antiaging hero vitamin A (aka retinol), but it’s still good for beginners. It also contains vitamins C and E to improve how your skin looks and feels. $65

BEST EXFOLIATOR

MURAD DAILY CLARIFYING PEEL This surprisingly gentle overnight solution clears debris from your pores so you wake up looking brighter and fresher. $39

BEST SHAVING CREAM

PACIFIC SHAVING CO. UNSCENTED This cream lathers but also aaaaahs, with ingredients like shea butter, sunflowerseed oil, and vitamin E. It’s your pick for sensitive, easily angered skin. $21

Swim trunks by Vilebrequin. Courtesy brands (products).

BEST BEARD OIL

CREMO VINTAGE SUEDE BEST BEARD TRIMMER

PHILIPS NORELCO 9000 PRESTIGE Yes, the name makes it sound like something from Tesla—and performance-wise, it might as well be. Adjust the blades to one of 30 different length settings with the turn of a wheel, and just run it under water to clean. $100

Coconut oil and aloe help this oil sit lightly, but our testers said the scent was more than tropical. There’s amber. There’s suede. There’s a luxury cologne vibe going on. $15

BEST BEARD SOFTENER

SCOTCH PORTER BEARD MASK The deep conditioner works on the hair as the mask locks and maximizes its effects, softening even the crispiest of beards. $10

SOLAWAVE ADVANCED SKINCARE WAND This handheld doodad emits a microcurrent that helps stimulate the muscles in your face. Run the wand around your eyes to depuff, your jawline to tighten, or your crow’s-feet to help them fly away. $149

BEST AFTERSHAVE

SHEA MOISTURE MEN RESTORING CREAM This lotion soothed irritation and calmed skin “with no burning whatsoever,” according to one tester. Azelaic acid and tea-tree oil help to heal and prevent ingrown hairs—so it’s clutch on curly beards. $11

BEST RAZOR

GILLETTELABS RAZOR WITH EXFOLIATING BAR As one tester put it: “This razor is a stubble-slaying machine.” It’s light and nimble around tricky areas. And the exfoliator bar works. $20

MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

BEST BODYWASH

NIVEA MEN SENSITIVE CALM Moisturizing after a shower is a paaaiiin. So moisturize while you shower with this plantbased lather enriched with hemp-seed oil and vitamin E. $10 BODY LOTION

HERO MINERAL MELT This lightweight lotion sinks in without leaving you greasy or your clothes sticky. Its exfoliating acids help smooth skin, and its minerals balance the skin’s microbiome, so you’ll need to reapply it less often. $15

BEST BODY GROOMER

PANASONIC GK80 The GK80’s unique V-shaped head and wand-like design make for easy maneuvering in hard-to-reach areas. Blade-to-skin shaving is gentle enough for sensitive spots, but pop on the comb attachment and ten length options are yours with the turn of a dial. $100

BEST HAND CREAM

VASELINE INTENSIVE CARE REPLENISH

DOVE MEN+CARE ULTIMATE SMOOTH GLIDE SOLID This new formula contains 30 percent water, so it’s gentle on underarm skin without compromising on intense sweat and odor protection. $10

ROLL-ON LOTION Tube ’screen always goes on unevenly. So allow the roller in this canister to slather on its zincreinforced product hands-free. Our testers appreciated that it’s fragrance-free, too—no cloying piña colada smell here. $15

STREAMLINE YOUR TRAVEL KIT BARE REPUBLIC MINERAL SUNSCREEN SPORT SPF 50 This handy stick fits in your pocket, allowing you to apply it (and reapply it) on your face and body wherever you go. $10

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

For all the moisturizing ingredients (cocoa butter, hyaluronic acid) packed into its formula, you’d expect this hand cream to feel heavy and goopy. Our testers confirmed that it goes on smooth and sinks into skin within seconds. $4

Take these Dopp-friendly products with you to save space and look good on the go.

18.21 MAN MADE CARRYON 4-IN-1 TRAVEL FOAM It shampoos! It conditions! It body-washes! It even moisturizes! Too bad it can’t also guarantee you a first-class upgrade. $24

FULTON & ROARK LTD #12 DEVIL’S GARDEN Dab this warm, smoky scent on your wrists, your neck, and anywhere else. No spraying—or smuggling through security—needed. $60

Sweatshirt by Thom Browne. Courtesy brands (products).

BEST ANTIPERSPIRANT

BATHROOM A few simple upgrades to your home base can make your grooming routine more efficient and effective.

SHORT CUT BEST DRYER

MYRO REFILLABLE BODY WASH Use the concentrated bodywash tubes to fill up the reusable bottle. The refill tubes also pull double duty for streamlined travel. $25

ZUVI HALO Reflected light helps even short hair like Wanna’s dry faster and with less heat, leading to healthier hair and less damage. It cuts not only your energy usage but your dry time, too. $349

JOLIE SHOWERHEAD The built-in filter removes chlorine and metals that can dry out and damage your hair and skin. $165

BEST FOR YOUR HAIR BEST FOR BALD GUYS

BEST CLAY

AMERICAN CREW MATTE

OLD SPICE BALD CARE SYSTEM

Yeah, clay in a spray. A spritz or two gives your hair a matte-textured hold while also adding moisture, so you have that just-outof-the-shower look all day long. $19

BEST SHAMPOO

GARNIER FRUCTIS PURE CLEAN HAIR RESET The aloe vera and citric acid in this stuff dig out dirt, oil, and product buildup. It’ll leave your hair feeling “soft, not squeaky,” according to one of our testers. $7

Even if you don’t have hair, you still need to keep up the dome. This three-stage system (exfoliating wash, shave cream, moisturizer) helps your scalp stay in shape and protected from the elements. $25

BEST SCALP TREATMENT

BEST CONDITIONER

BEST PASTE

HEAD & SHOULDERS CLINICAL TREATMENT

MAUI MOISTURE CASTOR & NEEM OIL

THE BEST PASTE NATURAL SHINE MEDIUM HOLD

Many dandruff busters fry your skin. This pick ratchets up the aloe vera to soothe an itchy, flaky, dry scalp almost immediately. $10

Just a dab is potent enough to hydrate a full head of hair. The duo of natural oils replaces the usual chemicals, like silicones and sulfates. $9

Chemical-free products often (unfairly) fall flat. But this beeswax-reinforced paste holds and, because it’s water based, washes out easily. $28

GLEAM DREAM BEST WHITENER

SNOW WIRELESS Our testers raved about its quick effects (noticeable whitening after just one use), minimal commitment (as little as ten minutes a day), and gentle serum (even if you have braces!). $299

SHOT ON LOCATION AT REMEDY PLACE Social Wellness Club, West Hollywood, where options include ice baths, cryotherapy, infrared saunas, and hyperbaric chambers, as well as breath and mobility classes. remedyplace.com

BEST FOR YOUR TEETH BEST MANUAL TOOTHBRUSH

BEST ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH

ORAL-B CLIC

PHILIPS SONICARE 9900 PRESTIGE This marvel uses AI to analyze your brushing style and gives feedback to help you improve your moves. The “wild-looking brush head felt like it got into every crevice,” said one tester. The rechargeable travel case takes it mobile. $380

BEST TOOTHPASTE

NATEAN CLEAN + WHITEN FLUORIDE It’s a paste that foams for a fresh feeling, and it doesn’t leave a weird residue on your mouth, lips, or sink. Clean indeed. $6

This lean cleaning

MOUTHWASH

TEND TONIC MOUTH RINSE The birch sugar in this alcohol-free wash kills bad breath. And the refillable glass bottle looks great on a shelf, even empty. $28

icine cabinet (or showerbrush head means you for a new one. $25

BEST DENTAL SYSTEM

IZZO Designed to deliver a dentist-level clean and polish without you setting foot in an office, this high-quality electric toothbrush has a polishing head and a flexible scaler to gently scrape away plaque. $130

THE NEXT

HEAVY HITTER

Tank by Hanes. Grooming: Anna Bernabe using Luzern Labs at the Wall Group. Prop styling: Wooden Ladder/Ward Robinson. Courtesy brands (products).

Javon Walton is the freshest face to hit the big screen and the squared circle—simultaneously.

To say Javon Walton is advanced for his age is an understatement. In the past five years, the 15-year-old wonder kid has played an online whiz on Amazon’s Utopia and a teen drug dealer (alias “Ashtray”) on HBO’s Euphoria. Up next, he’s starring opposite Sylvester Stallone in Samaritan and will have a role on Netflix’s Umbrella Academy. Between acting gigs, he’s been training six days a week for a USA Boxing tournament and hopes to go pro and compete in the 2024 Olympics, roughly when he turns 18. “I just want to go as far as I can,” Walton says. As he hurtles toward greater success, he’s taking Stallone’s on-set advice with him. “He told me just to stay grounded in this space. It’s a space you can easily get lost in. It’s good to stay grounded at all times.” Walton’s skin-care routine is also downto-earth. He sticks to a daily face wash, moisturizer, and face-oil regimen. “It makes me feel clean and fresh,” he says. “It makes me feel ready for the day.” —CHRISTIAN GOLLAYAN

SUPERCHARGE YOUR

GYM ROUTINE

FOR THE INTERVIEW FOR EVERYDAY USE

ARMANI ACQUA DI GIÒ EAU DE PARFUM Green mandarin and sage lend a subtle scent—and the bottle is refillable. $107

DIOR HOMME SPORT It opens with a punch of citrus but then dries down to a warmer, spicier aroma. You’ll give off an aura of approachability and chill. $85

FOR ROUGH MORNINGS

THE NUE CO MIND ENERGY The fresh, herbal fragrance of clary sage, juniper, and pink peppercorn is invigorating by itself. But the aroma can actually stimulate your neural pathways to spark mental energy, according to the company. $95

FOR ADVENTURE

ESCENTRIC MOLECULES MOLECULE 01 + PATCHOULI This scent reacts with your body chemistry to smell unique on your skin. At its base, the cologne has an understated earthy fragrance. But on you? You’ll have to see. . . . $145

FOR A PARTY

FOR DATE NIGHT

BURBERRY HERO

VINCE CAMUTO HOMME INTENSO

Three kinds of cedar anchor this woodsy cologne, but the spiciness of black pepper and a quick hit of bergamot create an inviting, celebratory vibe. $78

This cologne’s ginger, citrus, and bergamot make for a fresh first spray, but then it’s tempered by deeper notes like patchouli, oakmoss, and musk. $90

Deploy these high-performance grooming tools to spend less time in the locker room.

GUESS EFFECT BODY SPRAY

ALPINE PROVISIONS BODY WIPES

MODERN RITUAL THE DAILY 3-IN-1 LOTION

It’s a deodorant and cologne in one. A spritz of this spray under your arms and across your body leaves you smelling clean. $10

When you don’t have time to shower, swipe one of these aloe-packed wipes to clear away sweat and grime without stripping your skin. $16

This antioxidant-packed moisturizer combines antiaging ingredients and a powerful mineral-based sunscreen to give your skin all the protection it needs in one application. $40

MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

Top Gun: Maverick—the sequel to the action movie that changed it all—finally lands this summer. Maverick and Iceman are back, along with new pilots JAY ELLIS, DANNY RAMIREZ, and GLEN POWELL, to explore the danger zone, argue about who’s the best wingman, and, of course, quench our need for speed. Photographs by Art Streiber

THE MOST SURPRISING THING about watching Top Gun 36 years later is that Val Kilmer’s Iceman isn’t the movie’s villain—even with that smirk. No, Iceman is a model of self-possession, talent, and duty. For all the shit that he gives fellow pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise), he comes off as a concerned colleague. “The enemy is dangerous, but right now you’re worse,” Iceman says to his rival after a training run. “Dangerous and foolish.” No, the villain in Top Gun is Maverick. He’s the problem, both in the sky and on the ground. He flies bird-flippingly close to another jet. He abandons his wingman in the middle of a flight exercise. He walks up to Kelly McGillis’s Charlie in a bar and sings “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” inexplicably expecting to get laid. Half of the dialogue is his fellow characters pointing out how misguided he is. “You didn’t learn a damn thing, did you? Except to quit. You’ve got that maneuver down real well,” says Charlie, his astrophysicist love interest. “Some of the best flying I’ve seen yet . . . right up until the part where you got killed. You never, never leave your wingman,” says one of his instructors. Everyone’s an asshole in this movie. But only Maverick is at risk of taking a ride into the danger zone that is Full Asshole. And you never want that. If you cross the line with your F-14 Tomcat, you might lose control and have to eject. If you cross the line with love, you might be rejected. But if you don’t get to the line, well, you’ll never know how good you are. You have to take risks if you want to come out on top. (Keep in mind that one of those risks might involve playing beach volleyball wearing only jeans.) The dialogue is stilted. The main character is a cliché. But it’s a great movie for two reasons. One: the flying scenes. Director Tony Scott brought in real Navy pilots to fly real Navy jets. Two: Tom Cruise doesn’t come out on top, at least in the competition to be Top Gun. Instead, Val Kilmer emerges as number one. Kilmer is the movie’s actual hero because he acts like an ace but thinks like a wingman. In the new Top Gun (due out May 27), Maverick has, in a way, become Iceman—today, he’s an instructor himself. At some point between 1986 and now, he determined where the line between renegade and asshole was and he positioned himself on the right side of it. He’s come to understand how far is too far. That’s the central question of Top Gun—and it was as relevant in 1986, when we were in a cold war with the Russians, as it is in 2022, when we are in a cold war with the Russians. Where is the line? In Top Gun and in life, your wingman has the answer.

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

Navy flight school is just a pit stop on DANNY RAMIREZ’s tour of Hollywood. BY NOJAN AMINOSHAREI WHEN DANNY RAMIREZ tells the story of flying to

Los Angeles for his Top Gun: Maverick audition, it doesn’t get off to a great start. “I wouldn’t say I was deathly afraid of flying,” he says, “but . . .” Ramirez’s acting career started only seven years ago, with such illustrious roles as “Moving Van Kid #1” and “Panicked Student.” That he’s quickly built a résumé of interesting roles is indicative of his tendency to bum-rush an opportunity. “I’ve always been dive first and sink or swim later,” the 29-yearold says. When I let slip Ramirez’s aerial anxiety to Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, he was dumbstruck. “Danny never showed that fear,” he says. What Kosinski calls “flight training” Ramirez calls “the Tom Cruise School of Being a Badass.” Cruise himself developed a grueling five-month crash course for the actors. “I learned the art of puking and rallying,” says Ramirez. It also taught the actor not only to trust his own instincts but to trust others’ instincts, too. Ramirez recalls his first flight with costar Glen Powell piloting a Cessna. “Glen is all smiles, more smiles in a minute than you’ve had the whole week. The next thing I know, he’s pushing the throttle forward and we’re up in the sky,” says Ramirez. “It’s bigger than a trust fall. Way bigger.” By the end, the cast was a tight-knit unit. On the set of their Men’s Health shoot at an airfield in Chino, California, Ramirez, Powell, and costar Jay Ellis exchanged stories between shots, like the time during survival training when Ramirez was underwater in a harness that wasn’t unbuckling as the hand signal for “help” floated out of his brain like so many air bubbles. Spoiler: He managed to wriggle out and get to the surface. Turns out nobody had even clocked that he’d been freaking out. “He looked so calm,” says Ellis. “There was no panic in his eyes!” Ramirez’s sink-or-swim mentality wasn’t always so literal, but it’s guided his career from the start. He spent the first part of college studying engineering and playing soccer in Atlanta. One day during practice, while he was sidelined with an ankle inju-

HIGH FLYER Danny Ramirez plays the pilot Fanboy in Top Gun: Maverick.

Preceding pages, from left: Tank by Calvin Klein; hybrid pants by Brady; sneakers by Salomon. Tank by Ten Thousand; shorts by Nike; Nike sneakers, Ramirez’s own. Vintage tank by Abercrombie & Fitch, available at the Society Archive; joggers by Paskho; sneakers by Nike. This page: RUSH Energy tank by Under Armour; shorts by Aarmy; Nike sneakers, Ramirez’s own.

ry, he accepted an offer to appear as an extra in a movie shooting on campus. “I thought, I’d love to make 120 bucks right now. I’m broke.” What was supposed to be a two- to three-hour shoot ended up lasting eight hours, and Ramirez couldn’t shake his interest in what he saw. The next day he bought his first book on acting. He transferred to New York University to continue his engineering degree and to pursue acting. Later he auditioned to transfer into NYU’s acting school, Tisch, with “a really low GPA and the first monologue I’d ever memorized,” Ramirez says. Still, he thinks “there’s a naiveness” in how he dove into Hollywood. Even acting school was “all Chekhov and Shakespeare,” and Ramirez, whose parents are Colombian and Mexican, would find himself working hard to find his place among the predominantly white roles in those stories. He recalls that a teacher once encouraged him to go into acting by telling him he’d be perfect for a lot of supporting roles. “The auditions that were coming across my plate at that point were all ‘the pool boy’ or ‘the gangbanger,’ ” he says. “The things that were happening [in Hollywood] at that moment were just not inclusive of where I could fit in. That’s why I started writing. If these roles don’t exist and I’m not trying to help create them, then all I can do is shout at the screen when no one who looks like me is on it.” Each role he takes on seems to scratch a different itch: Euphoria creator Sam Levinson’s offbeat action movie Assassination Nation; Netflix’s Latinx coming-of-age series On My Block; the upcoming romantic thriller The Stars at Noon, from celebrated French auteur Claire Denis. And, of course, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Fans have been theorizing that as Anthony Mackie takes up the Captain America mantle, Ramirez will take up the Falcon’s wings. Ramirez deflects expertly when asked about it. “I can’t say much other than I’m really happy with the direction that it’s all going.” Falcon director Kari Skogland is also guarded but explains why Ramirez is someone you want on your roster. “He has a mischievous twinkle in his eye and also a deep resolve to go the distance when called upon to do so—which I feel are some of the ingredients found in a hero.” If anything, Ramirez is more ready now than ever. I wonder if he’s still afraid of flying. Nah, he says. “Like, ‘Oh, yeah, of course we’d stay up.’ There’s less to fear.” NOJAN AMINOSHAREI is the entertainment director of Men’s Health. His mother once told the family that she loved them very much but if Tom Cruise ever came knocking, she’d be out the door. MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

Tank by Calvin Klein; shorts by Rhone; sneakers by Adidas.

FLIGHT CLUB Glen Powell earned a pilot’s license training for Maverick.

How GLEN POWELL flipped disappointment into success. BY EVAN ROMANO WHEN GLEN POWELL heard there was going to be a Top Gun sequel, he wanted in. That’s because once his father showed a tenyear-old Powell the original Top Gun—which became his favorite movie, starring the man who would become his favorite actor, Tom Cruise—he was inspired to pursue acting. Powell started learning how to behave like a pilot months before his Maverick audition, heading to California’s Edwards Air Force Base to live with avia76

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

tors. His sights were set on the role of Rooster, the son of Maverick’s gone-but-not-forgotten best friend, Goose, from the 1986 film. After those months of prep, he tried out for Maverick with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Joseph Kosinski, and Cruise himself. “I felt like I really delivered, and when I didn’t get it, I was absolutely heartbroken,” says Powell. “I got the news on July 3, and on July 4, which is pretty much my favorite holiday—I’m a very patriotic dude from a very patriotic family—I was basically in the fetal position the entire day.” Miles Teller landed the part. Powell impressed the brain trust, however, and they did want him for another role, a mysterious character called Hangman. But Powell’s heart was still set on Rooster, and he wasn’t sure any other part in the movie was the right fit. It’s probably a scenario you’ve been in: You want something badly, but for one reason or another it doesn’t work out. Is it worth doing something different, or is it better to just move on? Maybe Tom Cruise could sway you. Powell met with Cruise again, thrilled just to have the opportunity to pick his hero’s brain. “It’s the hardest thing to do as an actor,” Powell says. “To go, ‘This movie’s going to be absolutely incredible, but I don’t

Styling: Jenny Ricker/TMG-LA.com. Grooming for Powell and Ellis: Barbara Guillaume/Forward Artists using CIRCA1970 Luxury Face Oil. Hair for Ellis: Eric Gonzalez. Grooming for Ramirez: Diana Schmidtke/Forward Artists using Laura Mercier. Prop styling: Jan Appleton. Production: Crawford & Co. Ben Mounsey-Wood (illustrations).

feel like I know what I would do in it.’ ” Cruise kept talking with Powell, assuring him that they would elevate the Hangman role. Finally, he decided to sign on. He called Cruise, reciting a famous line from the original: “Tom, man, I’m feeling the need.” Cruise realized Powell was in. “He was like, ‘Fuck yeah,’ ” Powell recalls. “It’s just a great moment when Tom gets excited about anything.” As for his decision, he’s revved up, too. “You really have to go, Okay, what’s the career I want?” he says. “What are the types of movies that brought me out here, and what’s going to make me happy?” He tells me that something Denzel Washington—who cast Powell in The Great Debaters and convinced him to move to Los Angeles at age 17—told him years ago also resonated. “ ‘This race, Hollywood, it’s a marathon, not a sprint,’ ” he remembers. “ ‘You’re running your own race. It doesn’t matter how fast somebody else is going, where they’re going, or if they look better doing it.’ ” Powell is tight-lipped about his role in Maverick, but says the first thing anyone asks about when they hear he’s in the new Top Gun is whether there’s a beach-volleyball scene. There is, but this time the guys are playing football. Powell trained for three months to get in shape to go shirtless. “In the days leading up, there was more male insecurity than you’ve ever seen on any set ever. And probably more coconut oil than even on Magic Mike.” Nearly four full years after his audition, the 33-year-old Austin native is rocking a gray cashmere jacket with a Texas Longhorns hat on our Zoom—and he’s happy. He’s back in his home city for the first in-person SXSW since the pandemic began. He’s also going to see frequent collaborator and mentor Richard Linklater in a bit—the two recently completed one film (the director’s semiautobiographical Apollo 10½ premiered in March) and are hoping to start another that they’ve just finished writing together called Hitman. “What I admire is just the sheer work ethic— Glen really pushed himself,” Linklater says. “He never let anything slow him down.” Clearly, Powell’s now running that race at a pace he can handle. Next up is the Korean War Navy drama Devotion (due to hit theaters this fall). It wouldn’t be overstating things to say that he’s extremely excited. He says that his co-lead, Jonathan Majors, is “going to be on the Mount Rushmore of great actors”; that the director, JD Dillard, will be considered “the new Spielberg”; and that the movie is “as emotional as The Shawshank Redemption with the scale of Saving Private Ryan.” That big Tom Cruise energy has obviously rubbed off on him.

GAIN MAVERICK MUSCLE

To handle jet-fighter speed and g’s, the Top Gun: Maverick pilots had to build serious functional muscle. That meant grueling totalbody workouts that relied on supersets. For a taste of that, try these two supersets from GLEN POWELL’s trainer, Eddie Baruta.

DIRECTIONS: Do the exercises in each superset back to back. Do 3 of each superset. Rest 60 seconds between exercises (and between sets).

1. UPPER-LOWER SUPERSET DEFICIT SPLIT SQUAT

Start in a half-kneeling stance, left leg forward, right knee off the floor, both feet on weight plates or 2-inch platforms. Hold 2 kettlebells in a rack position. Squeeze your glutes and stand up. Return to the start. That’s 1 rep; do 10 to 12 on each leg.

CHINUP

Hang from a pullup bar with an underhand grip, hands about shoulder-width apart. Squeeze your shoulder blades, then bend at the elbows and shoulders and pull your chest as high as you can. Lower with control. That’s 1 rep; do 8 to 10.

2. PULL-PUSH SUPERSET SLED ROPE PULL

Load a medium weight onto a sled and tie a battle rope to it. Sit about 10 yards away and grab the rope with both hands. Tighten your abs and squeeze your shoulder blades. Row it to you, alternating hands on each pull, dragging the sled toward your torso.

SLED PUSH

Once the sled has reached your feet, stand up and place your hands on it. Tighten your abs, squeeze your shoulder blades, and push the sled back to starting position, making sure to keep your shoulders higher than your hips at all times.

EVAN ROMANO is the culture editor of Men’s Health and saw Top Gun for the first time in 2022. MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

JAY ELLIS, America’s most polarizing boyfriend from HBO’s Insecure, is pushing his limits to become an action star. If only he can keep his lunch down. BY KEITH NELSON JR.

JAY ELLIS HAS the biggest smile on his face.

This isn’t the smile of his Insecure character, Lawrence Walker, after accidentally charming his way into a threesome. This is the smile of a man who has spent hours in a jet, flying so fast the pull of gravity increased his bodyweight sevenfold while he delivered lines as fighter pilot Payback, his first role in an action film. “As hard as it was, [Jay] had a great time and appreciated every moment,” says Maverick director Joseph Kosinski. Filming was so physically demanding that it left some of Ellis’s costars puking and Kosinski proclaiming, “I don’t know if anyone will ever shoot a movie quite like this again.” Ellis couldn’t be happier. “I love being uncomfortable. There’s so much growth in there,” the 40-year-old says. “I love exploring, and that is what acting is for me. I get to explore myself and parts of me I didn’t know existed.” Smiling (probably) doesn’t suggest Ellis is masochistic—he’s just always been comfortable with the unknown. Born Wendell Ramone Ellis Jr. in Sumter, South Carolina, he moved around a lot due to his father’s work with the Air Force, attending 12 schools in 13 years. To find solace amid the constant changes, Ellis says, he created an imaginary friend, Mikey, “who was helping me make sense of the world.” (More on him later.) On Insecure, his breakout show, he learned to play a character who lived a life foreign to his. Lawrence was depressed, rejected, and vulnerable, and it terrified Ellis. “I was scared to go play Lawrence. I didn’t want to be vulnerable; that’s not how I was raised. But it brought something out in me as an actor. It made me expand and grow.” Growth on Top Gun meant his limits stopped where the taxiway started for the F-18 fighter jet he was in, before it zipped between snowy peaks so close “it feels like your wingtips are about to touch trees” and corkscrewed like you’re in a 32,000-pound blender. To do what he’d never done before, he had to train like he never had before. Through 45 hours of flight training, the actor went from learning basic maneuvers to sitting behind an experienced Top Gun pilot called Wash Job doing barrel rolls in the air as he fought to keep the blood in his brain and his lunch in his stomach. “I’m six-foot-four, 215 pounds, played college basket78

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

ball,” says Ellis. “I’m excited I can use my body and be physical in a way I haven’t got to be with some of my other work.” Before each day of shooting, Kosinski had Ellis and his pilot practice every aspect of the scenes they were filming hundreds of times in a wooden model of the cockpit known as a buck, because once they were in the sky, they had no communication with the crew below. “You’re telling the pilot, ‘I need the sun at six o’clock.’ You’re also telling the pilot where to position the plane and what maneuvers we need to fly for the film,” Ellis says. “There are scenes where many of my castmates and I are truly pulling seven g’s in the back of an F-18, cameras rolling, and we’re acting through it.” Kosinski estimates that every 60 to 70 minutes of acting the cast members did in the sky daily would produce only one minute of usable footage. Working with Tom Cruise was its own kind of actor boot camp. He remembers Cruise teaching him about the importance of being conscious of camera movements while acting to ensure that the viewers are locked in on everything you’re doing. Ellis says that lesson is “one of the things I took into season 4 of Insecure and Mrs. America,” the FX miniseries about the difficulties of ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment. But above all, Cruise made Ellis feel he belonged. “Tom was very clear: ‘You guys are movie stars, and you’re action stars. I can show you how I’ve done this and built this in my career.’ ” When the cameras weren’t rolling, Ellis’s natural chemistry with costar Glen Powell was so undeniable that Cruise, Kosinski, and screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie urged the two to do a movie together. In the fall of 2019, a few months after Ellis finished filming Maverick, Netflix acquired the pair’s G-FORCE KING Jay Ellis says ten action comedy, about odd-couple rival weeks of workouts Secret Service agents who team up to and 45 hours of flight rescue the president’s kidnapped son. training helped him The film will further Ellis’s intention endure the intense fighter-jet scenes. to increase diversity in Hollywood. He grew up on movies like Die Hard and Passenger 57, in which everyday guys anyone could relate to could transform into action heroes. “When I think about those late-’90s and

early-2000s movies, we got so many different representations of men and men of color. We don’t get that today.” Ellis is already achieving wider representation with Black Bar Mitzvah (BBM), a production company he founded with his friend Aaron Bergman in 2018. At his core, Ellis says he’s a story creator, and like Kerry Washington, Reese Witherspoon, and other actors turned producers, he started his own company to invest in the kinds of stories he wants to see made. BBM has had the likes of Issa Rae and Jesse Williams reading the works of formerly incarcerated writers on its podcast, Written Off. In a way, BBM fulfills Ellis’s boyhood dream of creating with

his imaginary friend Mikey the stories that he needed to understand the world. He’s also releasing his first book about this friend and the lessons he learned as a child. But no matter what he does, he’ll always be an actor first, because he enjoys being uncomfortable in the name of growth. “I love being miserable at 4:30 in the morning when the alarm goes off, because by the time I get to the chair on the set at 5:30, I’ve got a big grin on my face.” KEITH NELSON JR. is a senior editor at MH and felt dizzy just watching the dogfight scenes in Top Gun: Maverick.

Tank by Fabletics; shorts by Abercrombie & Fitch; sneakers by APL.

COOL DADS:

EDITION

Six powerful ways to raise resilient kids in a stressed-out, spread-thin, topsy-turvy new world.

HE BIRTH RATE is at a historic low! Work-life balance is still totally whack! @#$% Covid! So who in their right mind would want to be a dad right now? We’ll tell you who: men who have used the past two long years to step up and not just parent their kids but also equip them with the skills needed to thrive in a politically divided, domestically messy, emotionally tumultuous modern age. The fathers featured in the following pages are proof that this is actually an awesome time to be a dad—because we need awesome dads now more than ever.

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

ILLUSTRATIONS BY RAFAEL ALVAREZ

We’re all busy. And distracted. And overextended. Which is exactly why we should put one more event on the calendar every day. BY GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS WHEN I TOOK THE JOB at Good Morning America more than a decade ago, one of the things my wife and I committed to was having a family dinner every night. I’m a pretty relaxed father. But as our younger daughter, Harper, says, the only thing I’m strict about as a dad is family dinner, “and the rest of my friends think, like, that’s pretty weird.” I don’t want to romanticize these nightly dinners. There are days when I don’t want to shop or cook or corral everyone. We’ve had disasters where the food was terrible or we were all cranky. Plenty of the dinners have involved everybody rushing and finishing the meal in less than 20 minutes. But then there are the rarer days when we end up having all kinds of wild discussions. We’ve debated if humans really have free will. My wife and I once fielded a fairly detailed and awkward series of questions about our sex life, which we did our best to deflect, from our older daughter, Elliott. Once, during the early stages of the pandemic, we dressed as characters from the trashy reality show Love Island, which we had been watching obsessively. Those meals didn’t just help us connect during disconnected times. They helped us do something deeper: unwind and bond. And during periods of stress, those benefits are invaluable. To encourage this spontaneity, we’ve banned phones at the table (though we’re all guilty of sneaking looks) and I make it a point never to ask, “So, how was your day at school today?” (the question most guaranteed to get you a nonanswer). My role is Dad as Punchline, with my wife and daughters cracking jokes at the fact that I can’t keep up with pop culture, I go to bed at 8:00 P.M., and I am just generally uncool. But it’s a role I’ve accepted, because I love to listen to my family trying to one-up each other. Elliott went to college last fall, but Harper is still home. We still have family dinners, though not as frequently. (Harper does not always love being the sole focus of attention.) I miss the ritual. As families, we have so few daily rituals that aren’t working toward some clearly defined goal: a school bus to catch, a practice to get to, a bedtime to hit. To put aside the time to shop for a meal, to cook it, to set the table—all to simply sit down and eat as a family—feels special, because the goal is just to be together. G E O R G E S T E P H A N O P O U L O S is a coanchor of Good Morning

America and the host of This Week on ABC. MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

BREAK THE

REVENGE CYCLE Modern politics has dragged us back to the “eye for an eye” days. There’s one key phrase that can disarm vengeance, though—and it’s simple enough a kid can learn it. BY SCOTT HERSHOVITZ

MY SON HANK AND I were in the midst of one of his favorite activities. I was tossing him around the bed while he had a giggle fit. Then Hank went quiet. “What’s up, Hank? Are you okay?” “Yesterday,” Hank started, “Caden called me a floofer doofer, and then Kelly came to talk to me.” There are lots of questions you could ask about that sentence. Some of them are easy to answer. Caden 82

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

was a kid in the Sycamore Room at school, where Hank had recently taken up residence, just shy of his fourth birthday. Kelly was the lead teacher. Since I knew all that, I went with “What’s a floofer doofer?” “Daddy, it’s bad.” “Are you sure? Maybe floofer doofers are cool. Should we Google it?” “Daddy! Floofer doofers are not cool.” We argued about that for a while, but of

course, Hank was right. It’s awful to be a floofer doofer, even though no one knows what the fuck a floofer doofer is. It was the second part of the story that Hank really wanted to talk about, the part where Kelly comes to talk to him. “Did Kelly talk to Caden, too?” “No,” Hank said, indignant. “She only talked to me.” “Why? Did you tell her what Caden called you?” “Not until after.” “Not until after what?” At that point, the witness went silent. So I shifted tactics. “Hank, did you think it was okay to do something mean to Caden because he said something mean to you?” “Yes,” Hank said, as if I were stupid. “He called me a floofer doofer.” Revenge gets a bad rap these days. Sure, it serves a purpose. If people think you’ll strike back, they’ll think twice about striking first. It’s no accident that evolution endowed us with an appetite for revenge. But appetites can get out of hand. Some people strike back harder than they’ve been hit. So revenge can lead to reprisal—and on and on. But revenge cultures had ways of keep-

ing escalation under control. “An eye for an eye” set a limit. If you put my eye out, I’d own yours. I could take it if I wanted. More likely, though, you’d buy it back— the price you paid to keep your eye would compensate me for the loss of mine. That trick didn’t work for everyone, though. To register in the revenge game, you had to have honor, and people constantly competed over it. Which sounds exhausting. We should be grateful to live in a society where a person’s worth is a function of something worthwhile, like the number of likes on her latest Facebook post. Oh, wait. I meant to say: We should be grateful to live in a society that values everyone equally. Shit. That’s still not right. I meant to say: We should be grateful to live in a society that says it values everyone equally. And I mean that. We don’t live up to that ideal, but at least it is our ideal. We can reject revenge culture and still recognize that an eye for an eye was, in its time, an ingenious way of doing justice. Yet little kids know nothing of that genius, and still they seek revenge. Why? Hank couldn’t say, but it’s not hard to figure out. He was standing up for himself. I admire that. But often, there’s a better path. I taught Hank that one night when we were talking about a kid who said something mean. I told him I could teach him one of the most powerful sentences he could possibly say. “Are you ready for it?” I asked. “Yeah.” “Are you sure? It’s really powerful.” “I’m ready,” he insisted. “When someone says something mean to you, you can say, ‘I don’t care what you think.’ Do you want to practice?” “Yeah.” “You’re so short, even ants look down on you.” He giggled. Then he said, “I don’t care what you think.” We went a few more rounds, but I was running out of kid-friendly put-downs. So we called it quits and said our goodnights. I wrapped up the way I always do: “Goodnight, Hank. I love you.” “I don’t care what you think.” Floofer doofer.

The past two years gave me an excuse to stay out of shape. But when my son and girlfriend stuck to their workouts, I knew I had to step it up. BY JO KOY LAST SUMMER, my 18-year-old son sent me a shirtless selfie. He was posing in front of a mirror, flexing, and he’d texted me, “im not little joe anymore.” That’s what I’ve always called him, Li’l Joe. It’s strange to receive a half-naked selfie from your kid, but I could see he had biceps, a chest pump, and the outline of an ice-cube tray where abs might pop out later. Then came the videos: Li’l Joe doing pushups, Li’l Joe clanging weights, Li’l Joe hustling on the treadmill. I blame Joe’s cousin Trey for all this. Trey does jujitsu and he’s ripped, and after Joe started hanging out with Trey more, Joe started eating better and drinking vanilla protein shakes. Why Li’l Joe decided to share his progress with me, I have no clue. If he was trying to motivate me to lose what my girlfriend [Chelsea Handler] calls my “moon face,” it worked. I told myself all kinds of bullshit in 2020 and 2021 about how I’d get in shape “later.” But between Li’l Joe’s discipline and my lady’s longtime commitment to working out, there was so much indirect peer pressure, I felt like I had to make changes. So I stopped buying soda. I started eating salads once a day. I woke up at 6:30 and went to the gym with my girlfriend. And things started happening. After I lost about 15 pounds, I took a selfie and sent it to Li’l Joe. “Dad caught up,” I texted him. I never thought I’d be a member of a fit family. I used to weigh a doughy 189; now I’m down to a lean 165. My moon face is waning. My son is almost as jacked as Trey. I had a choice when Li’l Joe started working out. I could have embraced my dad bod. But now I’m proud I chose strength. We all feel good. Maybe I do have to start calling my son Big Joe now—which makes me Medium Jo?

S C O T T H E R S H O V I T Z , P H . D . , is a professor

J O K O Y is an actor, a stand-up

of law and philosophy at the University of Michigan. This essay was adapted from Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with My Kids (out now).

comedian, and the author of the memoir Mixed Plate. He stars in Easter Sunday (in theaters August 5). MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

Covid encouraged kids to coop up inside. So if you want them to spend more time outside, you have to embrace the pandemonium. BY STEVEN RINELLA

I’LL ALWAYS REMEMBER our first official family camping trip. Two parents and three kids (ages five, seven, and nine) tent camping on a rainy Easter weekend. Things started out fine. We pitched our tent off the edge of a muddy road in a grassy canyon bottom in a Yellowstone basin. On either side of us, the canyon walls rose a couple hundred feet and flattened out into rolling hills. The upper lip of the canyon was composed of exposed sandstone, eroded and loose; with a push, you could send head-sized chunks of rock tumbling to the canyon floor. It took the kids about ten minutes to find their way up there. Within an hour, a few rocks had come rumbling down. I climbed up to give the kids a lecture about the perils of trundling, a sort of technical term for rock rolling. Those rocks could strike their own siblings or parents, or they could roll down and hurt a complete stranger. Once I was done hollering, I turned my attention to our youngest, Matthew, whose face and arms were colored a mysterious bright yellow. The kids showed me how they’d been using a hunk of ochre, a natural earth pigment made of clay and ferric oxide, to draw pictures on rocks. Seizing the chance to turn things in a positive direction, I explained how ochre has been used by humans for tens of thousands of years for making cave art and decorating skin and hair. That they’d stumbled into using it for those exact purposes was pretty damn cool. The next morning, the kids were back up in the rimrocks and came down with the news that they’d discovered a scorpion and that Rosemary “almost got bit.” I told them this was impossible. There were no scorpions in Montana. James implored me to come have a look. I told him the only way to change my mind was by bringing me a scorpion, which, given our location, seemed like a perfectly safe and reasonable request. Within minutes, he and Rosemary came sliding back down the hill with two scorpions on a rock. A quick Google search revealed that we were beholding two specimens of Montana’s only scorpion species, the northern scorpion, mostly found around rimrock areas in the Yellowstone basins. At this point, I was basking in the thought of how much I loved camping with the kids. They were making discoveries. They’d had the sense to stay away from something potentially dangerous. They 84

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

were entertaining themselves. What more could a parent ask for? And then came the rain. The soil here is known as gumbo, because it basically turns into wet cement when saturated. Yet no matter how earnestly you warn kids about the perils of gumbo, they will not listen. Instead, they will roll in it. They will throw it at each other. They will splatter a coat of gumbo over sleeping bags, backpacks, and clothes. At bedtime, my wife reminded me that there was still the issue of Easter. I whispered that maybe the Easter Bunny wouldn’t find us after all. The Easter Bunny most certainly would find us, she told me, and you’d better start hiding eggs as soon as the kids fall asleep. The robins started singing loudly before it was even half daylight, and the kids were out of the tent in their rubber boots and pj’s in a full Easter-morning frenzy. We watched as they gumboed up their pajamas and began opening dozens of plastic Easter eggs that had been infiltrated by rainwater and snowmelt. Soon every square inch of skin and clothing that wasn’t covered in gumbo was covered in sticky sweet substances.

GE A R

THE

BEST PROPS FOR POPS

Fathers need tools to take care of their kids—and have fun doing it. For 26 more favorites, go to MensHealth.com/dadgearawards.

BEST HYBRID STROLLER: Thule Chariot Cross 2 Attach the arm to the rear wheel of your bike for a portable, go-anywhere pod for your kids. You might think it’s too pricey, but here’s what you get in return: freedom. $1,300; thule.com

BEST BUILD-TOGETHER PROJECTS: KiwiCo Crate Make everything from remotecontrolled snake robots to homemade ice cream to a crystal garden with these mail-order kits. Consider them your solution to the inevitable “I’m boooooored.” Prices vary; kiwico.com

BEST TABLET:

Courtesy brands

Around noon, the wet gumbo on the ground was freezing. Matthew was the first one to come up to me with that helpless look kids get when they realize, too late, that they are uncomfortably cold. Driving home a day early from this trip had me feeling as though I’d lost my edge and gone soft. But then, as it occasionally does when you’re a parent—often when you are near the end of your tether— something magical occurred. I happened to hear what the kids were saying in the backseat. They all agreed that trundling was the coolest thing in the world. The best thing about the trip, James and Rosemary agreed, was that they had proved me wrong about the scorpions. They were already tinkering with the best way to tell that story; I had a hunch they’d eventually land on a rendition that made me look pretty foolish. S T E V E N R I N E L L A is the host of MeatEater on Netflix and The

MeatEater Podcast. He’s also the author of several books; his latest is Outdoor Kids in an Inside World (out now), from which this essay was adapted.

Kindle Kids This reader comes with a year of Amazon Kids+ included, so you have unlimited access to whatever books you deem age appropriate. No more library late fees. $110; amazon.com

BEST ON-THE-GO SNACK: Bella Sun Luci Teriyaki & Cracked Pepper Plant-Based Tomato Jerky Yeah, tomato jerky. A serving has six grams of filling fiber and tastes awesome. Stash a pack wherever hanger lurks. $5; bellasunluci.com

MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

Your kids will ask you about race, gender, war, and climate change. It’s best you prepare yourself. BY IBRAM X. KENDI

MY DAUGHTER SPENDS a fair amount of time in bookstores. Imani is six, loves reading, and is still at an age when she enjoys being with me. So whenever I attend book signings, I like to take her along. Earlier this year, we went to a bookstore in Boston called More Than Words, which is also a nonprofit staffed by young people who are unhoused, are in the foster-care system, or have been court involved. After our visit, Imani and I walked back to the car. I could tell she was thinking about something. Then she asked me, “Most of the kids who don’t have homes—do they look like us?” Imani has asked me challenging questions before (and plenty in relation to the pandemic and racial-justice movement). No matter how many of them she asks, it doesn’t get any easier for me to answer her. Poverty, imprisonment, race—these are difficult and uncomfortable topics for adults to talk about among themselves, let alone explain to a six-year-old. So I’ve established a series of rules to follow when it comes to these kinds of talks. They are as much for me as they are for her. I wait for her to initiate. If I try to start a conversation about a tough topic or begin to lecture her, Imani tunes out and I’m just talking to myself. I think that, as with adults, kids would rather learn about something when they’re actually curious about the subject. So while I often put my daughter in a position where she might have questions, I can’t demand that she answer mine. I redirect my fear. To be a human is to have fears. To be a parent is to have fears. But that doesn’t mean my fear is always well-placed. Instead of thinking, I fear having this conversation with my child, I try to think, I fear not having this conversation with my child. I give her credit. There’s research that shows that children Imani’s age and younger can understand complex issues even if they can’t express their understanding verbally. I remind myself that even if my daughter can’t articulate how she feels about something, she is still capable of feeling it deeply. I don’t overdo it. I understand the urge to want to explain everything about a tough topic—you want to get it over with, right? But trying to explain the history of race in America in one conversation is like trying to teach several grades’ worth of advanced mathematics in one class. So just like when I help Imani with math, I help her get the basics to build on later.

▶

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

▶I stop when she stops. When Imani loses interest, I can’t con-

tinue, even if we’ve been talking for only a minute and a half. I remind myself that all those minute and a halves add up—and can make a difference. So I told Imani that, yes, there are kids who don’t have homes. I told her that most of the kids in those situations do look like us. But I also told her that it doesn’t mean people like her and me have something wrong with us. I told her, the best that I could, that there are certain factors and conditions that lead to those situations, and one of those things is racism. Imani told me she thought no kid should be in jail or homeless. She told me she thought it was wrong that kids who looked like her were more likely to be in those situations. And she also kept repeating a question that I know many parents have come to fear but I have learned to appreciate, because it means I’m doing my job as a helpful and caring provider: “Why?”

I B R A M X . K E N D I , P H . D . , is the founding director of the Center

for Antiracist Research at Boston University. He is the author of How to Be an Antiracist and How to Raise an Antiracist (out June 14).

I HAVE NEVER liked people giving me

Upheaval can leave you scrambling for advice. I gorged myself on “knowledge” only to discover I was incapable of using it. BY KEITH GESSEN

advice. I can’t stand to read directions on new appliances. For years, I resisted my wife Emily’s pleas to turn on Google Maps’ voice guidance. I thought we were better off having Emily monitor the map. I couldn’t understand why she did not enjoy doing this. But almost immediately after our first child, Raffi, was born, I found something I desperately wanted advice about: raising a child. I read everything I could get my hands on. But the advice was often contradictory. One book wanted you to sleep in the same bed as your baby for as long as possible; another encouraged you to banish him to his crib. When Raffi turned three and started misbehaving, I read about how to empathize with his emotions. I read about how to parent like a French person, and a tiger mother, and a Swede. After each of these books, I would emerge invigorated and inspired,

a brand-new parent—only to revert, within days, to the parent I had always been. It was a frustrating experience. Here I was, finally seeking out advice. Why couldn’t I take it? It was books that had gotten me into this mess, and it was a book that got me out of it: The Everyday Lives of Young Children, by a professor of human development named Jonathan Tudge, Ph.D. Tudge had studied the activities of children all over the world. What he learned was that kids did what their parents did and parents did what their parents had done. Culture and history, in other words, were decisive; advice was useless. This applied to me in the following way: I lived in Brooklyn in the 21st century—not in Sweden or France or even Russia, the country of my birth. I was stuck here. And I was stuck, too, with my personality. I was a stubborn and impatient person who did not like to follow directions. But I was consistent. I had integrity. Maybe I could work with that. Instead of total transformation, I now seek modest reform: to be the best version of the imperfect person I already am. It hasn’t turned me into a superdad, but I think it’s an improvement. I still don’t read directions, but I have started letting Emily turn on Google Maps’ voice guidance. I keep my eyes on the road and let the Google lady tell me where to go. K E I T H G E S S E N is an assistant professor

at Columbia University and the author of several books. His latest is Raising Raffi: The First Five Years (out June 7).

A FOUR-YEAR-OLD REVIEWS CELEBRITY KIDS’ BOOKS A slew of star-powered children’s reads are out there. I read five to my son. He ranked them, and Dad compiled his thoughts (while adding a few of his own). BY PAUL KITA

1 LIL NAS X C Is for Country Son: “Good.” Dad: Even though Lil isn’t a dad (unless you count Montero), this is a surprisingly touching book about family and self-acceptance.

2 CHANNING TATUM The One and Only Sparkella Son: “Good. Super good.” Dad: Despite its ranking, this is the book my son has asked me to reread the most. It’s silly and fun and, yes, also incredibly sparkly.

MAX GREENFIELD

KARAMO BROWN

LeBRON JAMES

I Don’t Want to Read This Book Son: “Funny. Good.” Dad: While I appreciated the parental inside jokes, my son lost interest about halfway through.

I Am Perfectly Designed Son: “Good.” Dad: This was my number one. Its earnestness aside, the book—written by father and son—has a message that hit me right in the tear ducts.

I Promise Son: “A little bit good.” Dad: I’m with my kid. The illustrations are awesome. The repeated basketball clichés? Air ball.

MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

PRIME TIME Nick Cannon with his son Golden Sagon, five, in Los Angeles, March 14, 2022.

OVER 25 YEARS, THE ENTER TAINER AND

FATHER OF EIGHT HAS RISEN TO FAME, EXPERIENCED EPIC LOV E, AND SUFFER ED EXTREME GRIEF— EVERY SECOND IN THE PUB LIC EYE . THROUGH IT ALL , HE’S BECOM ING A BETTER DAD, PROVIDER , AND MAN . BY MY CH AL DEN ZEL SM ITH PHOTOGR APHS BY DYLAN COULTER MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

S FAR AS I CAN TELL, Nick

Cannon has been a pretty good daytime talk-show host. Admittedly, it’s not a genre of television that I typically watch these days, outside of the occasional clips from Kelly Clarkson’s show that make it to my social-media feeds. Growing up, my mom watched the big ones— Phil Donahue, Sally Jessy Raphael, and the queen, Oprah Winfrey. As a teen, I and early 2000s, to the raunchy and violent escapades of Jerry Springer. The most recent daytime show I watched with any regularity was Steve Harvey, because my granny loves her some Steve Harvey. Cannon’s show has been very much

At the taping I attended in March, the

Along the way, he found time to make

| MEN’S HEALTH

sometimes corny, sometimes endearing, sometimes genuinely funny, and whatever it was at any given moment, the audience—some of whom danced and shouted, “I love you, Nick!”—seemed to have a good time. “When people give you energy, it fuels you,” he would say to me later. “It’s when you do something on a low frequency that you can do one thing a day and it exhausts you. But if you do something that you love that keeps you on a high frequency, that adrenaline keeps you rocking.” I can attest, he kept it rocking. As fate would have it, I was interviewing Cannon in an office upstairs from his Harlem studio when it was reported that his show was being canceled after six months. Cannon will be fine, careerwise. He has a nationally syndicated radio show, he created and hosts the variety show Wild ’n Out on VH1, he hosts the wildly popular Fox show The Masked Singer, and, of course, he needs to be present for all his children. While Cannon’s work made him famous, his marriage in 2008 to Mariah Carey (and their divorce in 2016) launched him into a different level of the Twittersphere that tracks the highest highs and the lowest lows. You probably saw Cannon’s name in your feeds over the past six months when he shared news of the death of Zen, his five-month-old son with model Alyssa Scott, from a brain tumor on December 5. Then on January 31, Cannon shared that

he was becoming a father for the eighth time, with model Brie Tiesi. A week or so later his friend Kevin Hart sent him a vending machine full of condoms. It’s a lot. A lot, a lot. But life is all about growth for Nick Cannon. It sort of has to be. He’s been a celebrity his entire adult life (he was born in 1980, landed the Nickelodeon show All That in 1998) and had millions of witnesses to the process of him becoming a man. On Twitter, on his shows, and on the radio, he talks candidly about his struggles with grief, depression, and accountability—journeys all of us share. “I’ve lived my life in the public eye in a way where it’s very authentic,” he says. “I kind of put it all out there. All my emotions, all my understanding or the lack thereof, as vulnerable as I could be—I’m just like, look, I’m trying to figure it out.” Even today, with the news of his talk show’s cancellation. It must sting to have a platform where you can shine (quite

Styling: Ted Stafford. Prop styling: Cate Geiger Kalus. Grooming: Latashia Larae.

Page 88, on Golden Sagon: Shorts by Leisure Lab. Opposite page, on Nick: Sweatshirt and sweatpants by Ncredible; sneakers by Nike; socks by Jordan. On Golden Sagon: Sweatshirt and sweatpants by Ncredible; sneakers by Nike, available at Finish Line at Macy’s. This page: Tank by Hanes; pants by Polo Ralph Lauren; sneakers by Nike.

literally—at the taping, Cannon wore the sparkliest loafers, made up to look like an American flag) and fulfill your goal of making people happy yanked away. “Everybody stumbles,” he tells me. “I haven’t seen anybody do it perfect. I take those stumbles as lessons learned and how to keep pushing along so you don’t stop. The only real failure is when you stop.”

BUT FIRST HE had to figure out his way

into the industry. Cannon was born in San Diego to teenage parents who split up when he was young. He describes his teenage years as similar to those of Tre, Cuba Gooding Jr.’s character in Boyz N the Hood: “When you get in trouble, you gotta go live with your dad.” He wouldn’t say exactly what kind of trouble but noted that it was “southern California, the ’90s, everything, you know, gangbanging and drug dealing .” His mother sent him to live with

his father, a minister, in North Carolina. And it was in the church where he found a passion for performing. “Being a son of a minister, somebody who was already in public speaking, I just kind of took after those vibes,” he says. “I probably ain’t gonna be no preacher, cause I do too much singing. But you know, I’ll be able to at least engage in that same way to hopefully make as many people smile as possible.” At 16, Cannon decided the life he was living wasn’t the one he wanted and fully committed himself to pursuing a career in entertainment. He got a spot doing stand-up as part of Jamie Foxx’s Laffapalooza in Atlanta, a tape of which made its way to the world’s biggest movie star at the time, Will Smith, who demanded a meeting with Cannon. Smith became a mentor and helped him secure his first starring role in a film, 2002’s Drumline. From there, Cannon would go on to release an eponymous

rap album in 2003, star in Love Don’t Cost a Thing alongside Christina Milian that same year, and start Wild ’n Out on MTV in 2005. He may not have been a household name in the way that phrase is typically deployed, but if you were young and Black around this time, as I was, you knew about Nick Cannon. You probably thought Drumline should have been a bigger hit. You maybe had a crush on Nick Cannon. You perhaps felt you could beat Nick Cannon in a rap battle. He was goofy, relatable, charming, and star, if he could find the right thing. Then in 2008 he married Mariah Carey. In saying that it was shocking, I don’t mean for it to sound as if I’m also saying there’s no way Mariah freakin’ No, I mean that there’s famous and then there are global pop stars, and you never really think of the merely famous as beMEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

“Everybody STUMBLES. I haven’t seen anybody do it PERFECT. I take those stumbles as LESSONS LEARNED and how to keep pushing along so you don’t stop. The only real failure is when YOU STOP.”

Cannon has some regrets regarding

It was with Carey that Cannon had his

Zen was diagnosed with an aggressive

In January, Cannon announced that

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

I love the people that I’m involved with. People even often ask, ‘Are you gonna have more, you gonna stop?’ I’m like, those are questions that I don’t, I don’t really even sit around and think about. I’m just walking in my purpose and trying to be the best father and best provider I could possibly be.” Part of that process involves sharing his feelings with other dads. “Kevin Hart’s my best friend, and he’s the one I’m always talking to,” says Cannon. “We talk about fatherhood quite a bit. We were on Real Husbands of Hollywood and put ourselves into fictitious scenarios. Robin Thicke is an awesome dad. Even Ken Jeong. We talk about fatherhood, the silliness of it all.” Fatherhood is something he takes immense pride in. “Contrary to popular belief, I’m probably engaged throughout my children’s day, more often than the average adult can be,” he says, since he doesn’t work a traditional nine-to-five job and has flexibility to set his own hours and still be a high-level earner. “If I’m not physically in the same city with my kids, I’m talking to them before they go to school via FaceTime and stuff. And then when I am [in the same city, I’m] driving my kids to school, like making sure I pick ’em up. All of those things, making sure [I’m there for] all extracurricular activities. I’m involved in everything from coaching to having guitar lessons with my daughter every week.” The image of Nick Cannon coaching Little League baseball is something I still can’t get out of my head. It’s precious and unexpected. But why unexpected? For a number of reasons, but I suppose it’s my bias when it comes to men who have fathered this many children—I simply don’t believe, until proven otherwise, that they have any interest in being present, loving fathers. Not that having fewer children—or being in a monogamous state-recognized marriage or any of the other traditional markers of “good” fatherhood—makes

one more inclined to be present. Cannon is approaching fatherhood and family in an unorthodox way; he was raised in an unorthodox way. Unorthodox does not mean unloved. “I’ve seen where people believe a traditional household works, and [yet] there’s a lot of toxicity in that setting,” he says. “It’s not about what society deems is right. It’s like, what makes it right for you? What brings your happiness? What allows you to have joy and how you define family? We all define family in so many different ways.” I couldn’t agree with Cannon more. There are no set rules for family or happiness. Cannon has built a family—a large, sprawling, nontraditional family—that he loves and that loves him. “I think I was blessed to be able to have an upbringing that allowed me to see so many different aspects and witness love in so many different capacities,” he says. It’s a beautiful way to look at and experience life. It feels like a place you can get to only when you’re committed to critical self-examination. “I love therapy,” Cannon says at some point during our chat, and it hits me that things really have changed when two Black men born in the 1980s are sitting across from each other discussing their love of therapy. And therapy is a major part of Cannon’s life and evolution, something he takes seriously, especially with respect to being a father. He is examining himself and his ideas in order to show up better for his children. Or as he puts it: “There’s a paradigm shift that’s happening in the universe . . . . There’s a lot of emotion that needs to be dealt with, there’s a lot of trauma and pain, and all of these things, challenging ideas that come with masculinity, that are being brought to the surface. A lot of it happens when you become a father, because now you’re responsible for other people’s lives. So before, you may have had some ideas or some thought processes that got you through life, but now you have to pass that on to your offspring. . . . Maybe what my parents instilled in me, or the ideas that society had 30 years ago, don’t apply today.”

THIS IS ALSO true of celebrity. There

were rules on how to be famous that don’t apply today. It used to require an aloofness, a detachment from the public, and a secretive nature about everything private. Those aren’t the rules now. In the age of social media, people crave connection and access to the stars of film and

We are the true Hebrews.” He also told defended his decades-old comments about Jewish people being wicked. The exchange set off a firestorm on

at the description of his comments as

objections to Professor Griff some 30

a result of this incident], learned a lot of lessons. I learned so much as a man

you talk about why you were throwing rocks. Then you deal with the issue.” Accountability is a buzzword these

FUN HOUSE Cannon with Powerful Queen, 17 months, and Golden Sagon. On Nick: Suit by Alexander McQueen; polo shirt by COS; sneakers by Adidas. On Powerful Queen: Onesie by Mama Gang; sneakers by Converse. On Golden Sagon: T-shirt by Epic Threads, available at Macy’s; pants by Ncredible; sneakers by Nike, available at Finish Line at Macy’s.

television (or the stars created by social media, which is its own thing). Fans want to be let in. Cannon isn’t shy about giving them what they want. When I suggest to him that he would be treated differently if he were a woman with eight kids by five different men, he dismisses the idea and offers as rebuttal that the reason he finds wide acceptance is that he leans into who he is. I disagree, but it is undeniable that Cannon lives his life out loud in a fashion befitting the modern celebrity. He lets people into it all: his children’s lives, his relationships to their mothers, and even the process of grieving. Modern celebrity requires

comes through growth. His process— from hanging in the streets as a teen,

But there’s no set path to achieving that self-love. It winds through many a level of vulnerability that perhaps not everyone is comfortable with displaying. Cannon is fine with it. He’s not only an open book; he’s open to learning in public. In the summer of 2020, he invited Professor Griff, a former member of Public Enemy, on his podcast, Cannon’s Class, with the objective of speaking about the national unrest that resulted from the murder of George Floyd. The conversation unfortunately turned to familiar territory for Griff, who has a history of making anti-Semitic comments. Griff said that Black people were the “true Hebrews,” and Cannon supported this assertion by adding, “When we are the same people

Cannon has experienced. He may not have a daytime talk show any longer, but he has perspective: Nick Cannon loves his children, provides for his

it is to stumble or fail or face setbacks, win so much greater.”

World Watching, and Stakes Is High. MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

WE KNOW HOW TO TRAIN AND EAT OUR WAY TO PEAK P H YS I CA L F I T N E S S. BUT HOW CAN WE ELEVATE OUR MENTAL GAME? MASTER THESE THREE S KILLS TO GET YOUR MIND IN ITS BEST SHAPE EVER.

PILLAR #1

F I N E -T U N E YO U R

E MOT I ONA L INTE LLIGENCE DON’T MIND THE SQUISHY LANGUAGE. IT JUST MEANS UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF BETTER—BY EMBRACING HOW YOU ACTUALLY FEEL. (AND MAN, THAT SURE FEELS GOOD.)

THE SKILL OF EMOTIONAL INTELLI-

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

INCREASE YOUR

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

1. STOP HUSTLING YOUR EMOTIONS AWAY When you’re feeling something you don’t like, such as disappointment, don’t pretend you’re not feeling it. Accept that you will experience difficult emotions, says David. “This changes the relationship you have with these emotions,” she explains. “It boosts your level of well-being and brings you a sense of freedom and connection with yourself.” Basically: Stop lying to yourself about how you feel.

2. SEE EMOTIONS AS DATA After you ID a feeling, ask yourself what it might be telling you. If you’re frustrated by how bored you are at work, that might be a signal that you value learning and growth and don’t have enough of it right now, says David. Letting yourself have the feeling of frustration gives you the opportunity to figure out what to do about it.

3. BE SPECIFIC Get granular about your feelings. When someone asks how you are or you’re thinking about a conversation you had, go beyond big labels like angry or sad. The clearer you are, the more those feelings help you know what problem to address. For instance, each time David asked a certain client what he felt in his job, he’d say he was angry. She asked if there were other labels to describe that feeling. And he said, “Maybe I’m scared that I’m not going to be effective.” Now he had info to act on: He needed to be less scared and inspire coworker trust.

4. PUT IT DIFFERENTLY Instead of thinking, I’m nervous, try saying, “I notice I’m feeling nervous,” says David. This gives you the perspective to see that you are experiencing nervousness. But you’re not the same as it. That spills over to how you see other people, too.

Courtesy subject (Richards). Barrett Ross Creative (Shields). John Russo (Baldoni).

gence is simply the ability to recognize your feelings and understand how you’re responding to them—and do it without judging yourself, says psychologist Susan David, Ph.D., a Harvard Medical School lecturer and the author of Emotional Agility. Ever stared at passing clouds or observed an army of ants hustling around in the dirt? It’s like that but with your feelings. Emotional intelligence is also known as EQ, or “emotional quotient”—like an IQ for stuff that’s harder to measure. At its best, EQ might look like this: Over dinner, your partner makes a remark about wanting to grab your “love handles.” They were trying to be playful, but in an awkward nanosecond, you notice that your body is tingling; you know that means you’re feeling ashamed, which makes you angry. You understand it’s because you were fat-shamed by your dad as a kid. You also remember that your partner has similar issues and might be projecting their shame onto you. Having speedprocessed the data, you calmly explain your feelings. They apologize, confide what you’d suspected, and vow to be more conscientious. Later, you make love so meaningful it should have its own Spotify playlist. Same scenario, minus the EQ? Partner makes remark. You go silent, stomp away, tell them it’s rude to deliver a low blow, especially since you never say a peep about their cankles. They cry. You feel like a dick. No one apologizes. You sleep on the sofa, go a month without sex, and never talk about it—until the next flare-up. Notice how it starts with paying attention to what’s going on and accepting that your feelings aren’t good or bad. Feelings just help us make sense of the world, explains David. Building EQ helps you relate to others better; you develop empathy, the ability to listen to others without judgment, and an aptitude for responding to people in a thoughtful way. EQ also helps you level up and have what David calls emotional agility—the skills to adapt and make changes in yourself and your world.

EQ All-Stars

WHAT EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE REALLY LOOKS LIKE

Cory Richards 40, PHOTOGRAPHER AND CLIMBER CUT SHORT A 2012 CLIMB ON MOUNT EVEREST DUE TO AN ANXIETY ATTACK; RECENTLY LEFT ANOTHER CLIMB IN NEPAL, CITING MENTALHEALTH CONCERNS.

Brian Lee Shields 38, REAL ESTATE SERVICES OWNER/ OPERATOR LEARNED WORKPLACE EQ FROM A SUPERVISOR AND COMMITTED TO PASSING IT ON.

WHAT MENTALLY FIT MEN READ 1. HOW TO THINK LIKE A ROMAN EMPEROR, by

Donald Robertson Stoicism is about acknowledging, understanding, and mastering your emotions.

2. THE WILL TO CHANGE: MEN, MASCULINITY, AND LOVE, by bell hooks Better understand how male social codes cause suffering and how to set about fixing things.

3. MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING, by

Viktor E. Frankl No matter what’s taken from you, you retain your freedom to choose how you respond.

Justin Baldoni 38, ACTOR, DIRECTOR FOUNDED THE MAN ENOUGH PODCAST, WHICH INVESTIGATES THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF TRADITIONAL MASCULINITY.

The feelings I was having on Everest and in Nepal were irrational, fast, and overwhelming and were manifesting as anxiety attacks. The choices I made relied on the ability I’ve developed through the years to observe all of it as it was happening and understand, even without full comprehension, that something was drastically off and needed to shift. Understanding something doesn’t make it less painful, but emotional intelligence makes room for those experiences without drowning in the torrent.

My most important lesson on emotional intelligence was early in my career, at a Wall Street job. I was exhausted and kept making small mistakes. My supervisor could’ve blown up, justifiably. But he had the presence of mind to be empathetic, explaining what was working and what wasn’t. I didn’t feel attacked. It made me want to do better. Now I’m careful about how I give my team critical feedback. With these hard conversations, you need to have empathy— let people know they’re valued so they feel secure when you offer criticism.

As men, we’re taught that we have the intellectual power to figure out anything. But we can’t always figure out how we’re feeling. When I started therapy and my psychologist asked me what I was feeling, I didn’t have any words. My brain tried to explain and rationalize it, but my therapist kept challenging me and asking me to quiet my mind and go deeper—to go into the feeling. When I finally did, I was met with a reservoir of built-up pain and sadness that released through a lot of tears, which put me on a healing path. MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

PILLAR #2

TA P I N T O YO U R

V U L N E R AB I LITY WHAT MANY SEE AS WEAKNESS IS ACTUALLY A SUPERPOWER.

ONE OF THE MOST COURAGEOUS

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

EXERCISE YOUR

VULNERABILITY

1. BUILD STRENGTH BY ASKING FOR HELP Start with a small ask, recommends Corey Martin, M.D., of the leadership and team-development company Innovations in Resilience. Suppose you’re having a difficult time at home—somebody’s sick, your house needs expensive repairs, your parents are starting to show cognitive issues—and it’s making work hard. “Be up-front with your team and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got a lot of stuff going on right now, and I’m not on my A game. If I’m dropping things, I need you to let me know. I’d really appreciate it because we’re here to be a team,’ ” says Dr. Martin.

2. AIM FOR EXCELLENT, NOT PERFECT Perfectionism and vulnerability are mortal enemies, Dr. Martin explains. We think that if we appear perfect, nobody will know we’re not the best dad or spouse—the veneer of perfection is an armor against

people finding out what’s inside you. If perfectionists fall short, instead of being vulnerable, they try harder to be perfect. Perfection is driven by what other people think, and it can never be achieved. So you get stuck in a try/ hide/try harder/hide more cycle. “Strive for excellence instead of perfection,” says Dr. Martin. “Just aim to do better tomorrow than you did today.” Forgive yourself if you come up short.

3. DO YOUR OWN VERSION OF CELEBRITY MEAN TWEETS Celebrities reading mean tweets out loud becomes funny because it’s clear they’re not true. Try the DIY edition: Listen to what the voice inside your head is tweeting at you. “Take a piece of paper and write that stuff down,” Dr. Martin says. Ask yourself if anyone who cares about you would say those things. See the untruths. Then trash the paper.

Courtesy subject (Rodriguez, Garcia). Shyqeri Kuqi/Shoocha Photography Studio & Gallery (Dotson).

choices you can make is to be vulnerable. That’s when you let your guard down, exposing and expressing your truest feelings—anger, sadness, fear, shame, all of it—despite the judgment or pushback or hostility you think you might receive as a result. Michael Gervais, Ph.D., a performance psychologist who has worked with NFL teams, CEOs, Olympians, and other high performers, defines vulnerability as “the courage to be authentic, the courage to be true, the courage to say the thing that needs to be said, even though it’s hard to say.” Here’s how optimal vulnerability might look at work: You stepped into your boss’s role when she left. The agency’s biggest client is thinking about following your ex-boss. They tell you they’re coming in tomorrow for a makeor-break meeting. Your hands get shaky and your heart rate spikes. Knowing you’ve had panic attacks in the past, you go to a supervisor you trust, explain the situation, and say: “I’m pretty anxious. Can I walk you through my talking points?” The supervisor thanks you for your candor, then gives you a pep talk and some guidance. At the meeting, you kill. Same scenario, minus vulnerability? Client tells you they’re coming in for the make-orbreak meeting. You bury your emotions in a twobeer lunch, go home, and take a shame nap till 6:00 P.M. By 11:00, crippling anxiety has set in, along with a false narrative: All eyes are on me. If the client bails, the agency’s revenue plummets, and it’s all my fault. It’s too late to ask for help, and if I do, everyone will know I’m a fraud. You go to work on an hour of sleep with a half-assed presentation scribbled in a notebook; the partners read the dark circles under your eyes, take over the meeting, and let you know later how close you came to a total catastrophe. Saying what needs to be said can be hard. But you likely do hard things all the time.

Vulnerability All-Stars

HOW THESE GUYS GOT STRONGER BY SHOWING THEIR CARDS The first time I shared my emotions with the group was kind of like popping a soda can. Everything just sprayed out. I had a lot of fear because I was sharing about my sexual abuse as a kid. I didn’t really want to make eye contact with anybody. I grew up believing that a man is not supposed to be emotional. Once I locked eyes with people in the group, that belief went away. I’ve felt power before, in prison, where I was aligned with certain people to survive. But being vulnerable, expressing emotions—this was real power.

Andrés Rodriguez 44, GRANT COORDINATOR GRADUATE OF GRIP TRAINING INSTITUTE, A GROUP-THERAPY PROGRAM IN CALIFORNIA’S STATE PRISON SYSTEM.

Earl Dotson 51, FORMER GREEN BAY PACKERS PLAYER, TWO-TIME SUPER BOWL STARTER SPENT YEARS LIVING IN SILENCE WITH SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION.

WHAT MENTALLY FIT MEN WATCH 1. UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK MAN, former NFL player Emmanuel Acho’s YouTube series. Focuses on racism, including issues of identity, allyship, and accountability.

2. THE POWER OF VULNERABILITY, with Brené Brown, Ph.D. Brown’s TEDxHouston talk from June 2010 is a great introduction to vulnerability.

3. DEVELOPING A GROWTH MINDSET, with Carol Dweck, on YouTube. Helps you figure out how to reframe your thoughts to grow and change.

Eric Garcia 31, SENIOR WASHINGTON, D.C., CORRESPONDENT FOR THE INDEPENDENT PUBLISHED HIS BOOK, WE’RE NOT BROKEN: CHANGING THE AUTISM CONVERSATION, AFTER GOING PUBLIC ABOUT HIS AUTISM IN AN ESSAY.

I lost my mom and dad pretty much within a year, plus two of my best friends. My elder son just died by suicide. It can be total turmoil inside. You want to talk, but sometimes you don’t know the words, or how they’re gonna perceive what you say. I grew up being very shy. I finally opened up to a therapist. From there, I started talking to other athletes I trusted and friends who’d been in the military. We all had traumas. And we could open up to each other. I learned to drop that guard and to be the person I always wanted to be on the inside.

Writing an article about my autism changed my life. I embraced my identity and see it as an asset. I no longer needed to explain myself. Maybe I didn’t get certain jobs or dates as a result of sharing about my autism; on the other hand, it was also liberating, because it revealed who would accept me. I no longer have to guess or be secretive. Covering the autistic community allowed me to be vulnerable with people like me. It led me to embrace my multiple identities as a Latino, as a disabled man, and as an autistic person. MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

P I L L A R #3

R E V U P YO U R

R E SI LIE N C E RESILIENCE KEEPS YOU GOING, BUT NOT BY TOUGHING IT OUT OR FLIPPING OFF THE EMOTION SWITCH.

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH

DRILLS TO BUILD

RESILIENCE

1. REFRAME THE ISSUE YOU’RE FACING AS A CHALLENGE, NOT A PROBLEM “While that can feel like it’s just words, words matter. Choosing to view things as ‘challenges’ rather than problems can keep your focus on solving over wallowing,” says Kristen Dieffenbach, Ph.D., an associate professor of athletic coaching education at West Virginia University. “It’s a proactive strategy that allows you to be in the driver’s seat.” In challenge-facing mode, you can then go on to ask, “What resources do I need to tackle this challenge?” and figure out who or what can support you in moving forward.

2. GET CURIOUS ABOUT THE AUTHORS MIKE KESSLER is a multimedia journalist based in Los Angeles who has covered science, culture, crime, and sports for ESPN, Outside, and many other outlets. MARTY MUNSON is the health director of Men’s Health and an avid ice swimmer.

100 MAY • JUNE 2022 | MEN’S HEALTH

When you notice you’re chastising yourself for something that didn’t go as you wished, shift your internal conversation. Ask yourself how today’s setback can help you do

better tomorrow. When Dieffenbach researched the psychological characteristics of Olympic athletes, one of the traits she saw was that they didn’t beat themselves up when they didn’t hit the mark. Instead, they got curious about where they fell short and how they could do better next time. Using what happened today as a launchpad for the next day is a key to resilience.

3. NORMALIZE EFF-UPS Instead of punishing yourself when you’ve messed up, take a beat, put the cap on the booze or the negative thoughts, and remind yourself that everyone makes mistakes. (You can still take responsibility for a mistake and remind yourself of this.) “Recognize that highs and lows are normal and happen to everyone,” says Dieffenbach. Normalizing errors helps keep you from dwelling on them and allows you to bounce back.

Maria Arabbo (Brownridge). Courtesy subject (Goodman). MarkMedia (Maddaus).

and you find ways to recalibrate and thrive— whether you’re coping with the loss of someone you love, learning a new language, or losing your shirt on an NFT—that’s resilience. “It’s about adjusting and adapting to a challenging environment, either internal or external,” says Gervais, the performance psychologist. “It’s about moving forward towards the mission as opposed to being set back. It’s using internal skills when something is pushing us off-balance.” At its best, resilience might look like this: You’re a marathoner, but no matter how hard you train, you still can’t make the cut for Boston, thanks in large part to the anxiety-fueled lack of sleep you’ve had the night before your qualifier—three years in a row. And a nagging toe injury has gotten you bad finishes in the local marathon. You’d like to take another stab at it—if your newborn lets you rest. Nevertheless, you adjust: You negotiate a child-care schedule with your spouse, find a sleep consultant, and join a running club, whose coach teaches you to alter your gait. You qualify for Boston and know you can do even better next year, or the year after. Same scenario, without resilience: The injured toe, the lousy finishes in the local race, the kid, the sleep trouble—they’re the nails in your competitive-running coffin. They make you feel like a natural-born failure, which in turn causes unreasonable amounts of shame. Resilience can be learned, especially when you see setbacks as opportunities for growth.

Resilience All-Stars

HOW THESE GUYS MET CHALLENGES AND FOUND WAYS TO MOVE ON

Alec Brownridge 32, FACILITATOR, COACH, AND ANALYST LEARNED TO BOUNCE BACK FROM A VIOLATION OF TRUST.

The medical field expects doctors to be resilient in the wrong way: Be strong, don’t open up, keep it to yourself. During my first year as a doctor, I felt depressed, reached out to a therapist, and started medication. I slowly began recovering and feeling more like myself. As this was happening, I made the decision that I would never tell patients to define resilience as hardening themselves or staying silent. I thought, How powerful would it be if I posted about my experience! When I did, it went viral.

Jake Goodman, M.D.

29, PSYCHIATRY RESIDENT GOT PUSHBACK FOR A SOCIAL-MEDIA POST WHERE HE ANNOUNCED THAT HE TAKES ANTIDEPRESSANTS AND IS PROUD OF IT.

WHAT MENTALLY FIT MEN LISTEN TO 1. HUBERMAN LAB Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., explores the brainbody connection with topics including erasing fears, understanding depression, and bonding.

2. WHERE SHOULD WE BEGIN? Well-known

3. THE HAPPINESS LAB Laurie Santos,

psychotherapist and author Esther Perel, L.M.F.T., doesn’t just talk about couples therapy; this podcast lets you be a fly on the wall in actual couplestherapy sessions.

Ph.D., the teacher behind Yale’s wildly popular class on happiness, puts widespread notions about mental wellness under the microscope.

Michael Maddaus, M.D.

Once, a romantic partner and I were naked in bed. I felt a sexual desire and knew that wasn’t what she was feeling. I decided to touch her without her consent. She told me it did not cause physical harm, but I broke her trust. I felt a deep sense of shame. I lied to myself and to her and said it was an accident. To learn from this mistake, I worked in therapy to see the part of myself that internalized toxic masculine messages, so I could hold this part of myself accountable and understand that this was not the whole me. From there, I could start to mend the harm.

67, MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER WAS ARRESTED 24 TIMES BEFORE FINDING HIS WAY TO THE NAVY, TO MED SCHOOL, AND TO BECOMING VICE-CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA.

For many years, I tried not to let anything stop me, and it worked. But I found myself overextended and burned out at age 55. I would berate myself at night for not being strong. At the same time, surgeries on my back and hip gave me easy access to narcotics. Over 18 months, I slowly spiraled into the hell of addiction. I realized I needed a new operating system for life. I learned to say to myself, “I can see how addiction could have happened to you.” It doesn’t mean I accept the behavior, but I learned to accept my humanity and move on from there.

MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022 101

SCOT PETERSON SLEEPS The day 17 people were shot to death inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the only armed officer on

AT NIGHT BY

ERIC BARTON

PHOTOGRAPHS BY

102 MAY • JUNE 2022 | MEN’S HEALTH

PEYTON FULFORD

does—at length. Is he trying to convince the victims’ parents? The survivors? Other cops? Or himself?

Scot Peterson spent 32 years as a deputy with the sheriff’s office before the shooting in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018.

TO GET TO THE CABIN WHERE HE LIVES, you turn off the main road onto a dirt path, two tire tracks running through old-growth forest. The road dips, then forks right, up an embankment. Eventually you arrive at the foot of his gravel driveway, where he’s built a wooden shelter for the three bear-cub statues Lydia bought someplace, to protect them from the weather. A little project to keep him busy. There’s a new split-rail fence leading up to the house—he put that in, too— and he’s got an American flag in a bracket screwed into the trunk of a big oak. The air is crisp and clean out here in the North Carolina woods, far away from any of the people who were there that day. And from the people who shouted in front of his home, made death threats against him, called him that stupid name, the coward of Broward. Called him much worse than that. The people who still don’t understand, because they don’t know the facts. The truth is, no one understands. Well, Lydia does, of course, and it’s part of why she’s stuck with him all these years, even when she has to leave the bedroom in the middle of the night to cry so he can’t hear her. She was a teacher at the school for a long time, so she knows there was no way he could’ve ever got to that boy. She knows Scot was right where he should have been the whole time. It was not your time, she tells him. You did not go into that building, because the shots you heard were outside, and it was divine intervention. It was not your time. He appears from behind the storm door. Blue jeans, wire-framed glasses, a cop’s buzz cut. And immediately you 104 MAY • JUNE 2022 | MEN’S HEALTH

see: It’s really him. Scot Peterson, the cop from the surveillance video. Valentine’s Day 2018, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida. That same six-foot-five frame—a little huskier now, four years later, but the same lumbering figure. The whole world saw it: his grainy silhouette standing against a wall in the high school courtyard, behind the white pole. Not moving. Not appearing to do much of anything at all. When they showed it on the networks, they freeze-framed it and drew a circle around him, an armed officer just . . . standing there while those people were getting killed inside. Here was the MSNBC analyst: “There does appear to be video of him, from a distance, leaning up against a wall, and clearly not going into the building. . . .”

From left: Peterson and an unarmed security monitor outside the school administration building, about one minute into the attack; the deputy sheriff riding to the 1200 Building, where the shooting was happening; Peterson by a nearby building, where he remained throughout most of the attack.

He’s 59. He mostly does projects around the house these days. Like the shelter for the bear-cub statues, and the outdoor kitchen he built around back. Expanded the front porch. Screened in the back deck. Anything, really, to keep his mind off the shooting and the people who think he’s a coward, and the fact that this fall, he will face the possibility of a trial under an obscure Florida law that hinges on whether he was a caregiver. They’re trying to say he was a caregiver for the more than 3,200 students at Stoneman Douglas, and if they can prove he was—which is a long shot, but still—then he could be charged with felony child neglect and could go to prison for a very long time. Inside the cabin, there are photos of his own children. “My two boys, both were in the military,” Peterson says. “Well, one’s still in the military, in the Air Force. And my youngest son, he just finished the Navy. Matter of fact, he’s in Texas now. He did his tour and he’s now in Texas. I have my oldest daughter, she’s in nursing. She lives in Florida. And my second, she’s living with Mom. She’s graduated from FIU and still trying to get her feet wet.” He sits by the fireplace. It was wood burning when they bought the house, but he’d never had one of those in his life, not in Florida. Monkeying with burning wood? Bullshit. So they converted it to gas, and Peterson built a fence to hide the propane tank outside. “I’m going to be honest here: What’s going on with me? I don’t burden my kids with it. They’re starting on their own lives,” he says. He shifts his weight in the recliner, one of two facing the TV. “I know at the

end of the day I have to believe in justice, because I didn’t do anything wrong that day at all,” he says, as if there is nothing else to say. “I sleep at night because I know that. So I believe in the rule of law; I believe in justice. I believe when the facts of what occurred actually come out—” He cuts himself off, stiffens, locks his eyes on you, then starts anew: “The families that lost their kids, they’ve never been told the truth of what happened at that shooting.”

report by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, a group of 19 state officials and investigators: At 2:19 P.M. on February 14, 2018, an Uber dropped off Nikolas Cruz, 19, on Pine Island Road just outside his former high school. He wore black pants, a dark hat, and a burgundy JROTC shirt in the colors of Stoneman Douglas. He carried a large bag containing his AR-15 rifle and several loaded magazines. Cruz walked through a gate that was supposed to be locked while school was in session. Andrew Medina, an unarmed campus security monitor, spotted him. As Cruz jogged toward the east side of the three-story 1200 Building, Medina radioed on a school channel to another campus monitor, David Taylor, already inside, that there was a “suspicious kid” heading his direction. Taylor saw Cruz enter at the far end of a long hallway lined with ten classrooms, each with a window in its door. Cruz ducked into a nearby stairwell, and

Taylor thought he might be heading for another floor, so Taylor took another set of stairs to try to intercept him. Inside the eastern stairwell, Cruz took out the rifle, snapped in a large magazine, and put on a vest loaded with more easy-to-access ammunition. A freshman named Chris McKenna walked in on Cruz. “You better get out of here,” McKenna said Cruz told him. “Something bad is about to happen.” McKenna fled the building and found campus monitor and football coach Aaron Feis, who drove McKenna to a safer location in a golf cart and returned to the building. At 2:21 P.M., Cruz reentered the hallway on the first floor. Seeing several students in the open corridor in front of him, he raised his semiautomatic weapon and fired a deafening spray of bullets that struck and killed 14-year-old Martin Duque Anguiano, 14-year-old Gina Montalto, and 15-year-old Luke Hoyer. Another bullet hit 15-year-old Ashley Baez in her left thigh, and she took cover in the doorway of a women’s restroom. Cruz turned and shot through the window of a classroom on his right, shattering the glass and striking several more students. Ashley Baez sprinted across the hall to take cover in a classroom at the far end of the building. Cruz proceeded to a classroom on his left and unleashed another rapid-fire attack on six more students, killing 17-year-old Nicholas Dworet and 17-year-old Helena Ramsay. Cruz didn’t need to enter these classrooms at all—his high-velocity weapon could shoot quickly through the windows. Dressed in his snug green uniform with yellow badging, sidearm on his hip,

Peterson was outside the administration building, a couple buildings southeast of the 1200 Building. He ran into Kelvin Greenleaf, the supervisor of the school’s security monitors, who acted as unarmed safety patrol for the school. Both had overheard a radio call from Medina about “strange sounds” coming from the 1200 Building. As they were hurrying to investigate, Medina pulled up in a golf cart, and Peterson and Greenleaf jumped in. While students on the first floor ducked against walls and behind desks, students on the second floor took cover. So did Taylor, the unarmed security monitor, who unlocked a second-floor storage room to hide inside. Smoke from the gun, muzzle flashes, or dust in the air had triggered a building-wide fire alarm. On the third floor, that alarm may have muffled the sounds of gunfire, and students poured into the hall; in some cases their classroom doors automatically locked behind them, a safety protocol. Cruz headed back to the first classroom he’d shot into and unloaded another barrage of bullets on those inside. Five students in that first room were now injured, and three 14-year-olds—Alyssa Alhadeff, Alaina Petty, and Alexander Schachter—were fatally shot. Chris Hixon, another campus monitor and the district’s athletic director, had heard the noise and, although he was unarmed, ran toward the sound of the gunfire. Hixon threw open a set of double doors leading into the hallway on the west side of the building. Cruz turned and shot him. Hixon, bleeding, crawled behind a wall near the western stairwell.

MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022 105

106 MAY • JUNE 2022 | MEN’S HEALTH

pected location: “We’re looking at the 1200 Building.” Seconds after that, Cruz noticed 17-year-old Joaquin Oliver cornered in the alcove of the locked men’s restroom, just across the hall from that same stairwell. Cruz shot and killed him. Peterson maintained his position outside. Cruz tried to go down the stairwell, but the door wouldn’t open. He didn’t realize that Rospierski had stayed on the landing outside, near the lifeless body of a student, and found a way to block it, buying his kids more time to escape down the stairs, and past Feis’s body at the bottom. Cruz spent the next couple minutes shooting up the teachers’ lounge before heading back to the western stairwell, abandoning his weapon and ammunition and exiting the building unopposed. Peterson maintained his position outside. Officers from neighboring Coral Springs began arriving at the 1200 Building at 2:29 P.M., just one minute after Cruz left the building. Peterson was still in his spot near the pole, and one of the officers took cover behind a nearby tree. That officer later said that at that moment, Peterson told him the shooter might be in the parking lot. A few minutes later, another Coral Springs officer, Richard Best, ran to Peterson’s location and asked for more intel. Best said in his own statement that Peterson told him what he thought to be true then: Shots fired. The shooter is on the second or third floor. He had been standing there for a total of ten minutes.

WPBF

As Cruz advanced down the hall- After the shooting, Broward County way, he came to another untouched sheriff Scott Israel classroom full of kids on his right said Peterson’s and opened fire there, killing failure to try to 16-year-old Carmen Schentrup. stop the gunman Outside, Peterson, Greenleaf, made him “sick to my stomach.” and Medina came into the view of a video camera stationed near the 1200 Building. Medina dropped Greenleaf and Peterson by the building’s east door, and Peterson drew his weapon. Medina and Greenleaf were unarmed, and Peterson directed them to leave the area. Back inside, Cruz headed for the stairs, leaving a few classrooms untouched. He passed Hixon and shot him again, this time fatally. On the opposite side of the building from Peterson, Feis, the football coach, had used an exterior door to gain access to the western stairwell at nearly the same time Cruz entered the first-floor several kids and killing Scott Beigel, a landing. Feis came face to face with Cruz geography teacher and cross-country and was shot immediately. coach, who was holding a classroom door Also at nearly the same time, Peterson open for students as they ran in. radioed the Broward County Sheriff’s Peterson maintained his position Office for help. Peterson: “Be advised we outside. have possible—uh, could be firecrackers. At the far end of the hall, a geography I think we have shots fired. Possible shots and history teacher named Ernest Rospifired, 1200 Building.” erski flattened himself, along with sevPeterson then ran about 75 feet to eral students, into the alcove of a locked take cover near the concrete vestibule classroom that was still a few rooms away of another building. He paced back and from the western stairwell, which could forth near a set of trees. be an escape. A moment later, as Cruz When Cruz reached the second floor, turned away to reach for another magait looked abandoned. Students had heard zine in his vest, Rospierski moved to try the shots and hidden, so no one was another neighboring door—also locked. visible through the classroom windows. As Cruz continued to reload his As he walked east across the floor, some weapon, Rospierski saw his chance: He students heard him say, “No one is here,” ran, directing the remaining students before firing into at least two classrooms toward the nearby stairwell as Cruz and eventually taking the eastern stairfinished reloading and began firing well to the third floor. again. Rospierski and eight students Peterson maintained his position would make it there safely, but Cruz outside. killed 14-year-old Jaime Guttenberg and He radioed again: “We’re talking 15-year-old Peter Wang. Both were just a about the 1200 Building. It’s going to be few feet from the safety of the stairwell. the building off Holmberg Road.” Peterson maintained his position Several teachers on the third floor may outside. have sensed they were running out of Cruz scanned the hall for survivors. time. Nearly two minutes after the fire Nearly 15 seconds later, he spotted alarm went off, as students clustered in 14-year-old Cara Loughran and 18-yearthe halls, they’d heard shots below them old Meadow Pollack, who had already on the second floor. Teachers rushed been shot, huddled in the doorway of a to unlock classroom doors to get their classroom just two rooms away from the students back inside. And the bathrooms stairwell. He fired again, killing them. on the west end of the hall had also been By this point—six minutes since Cruz locked to discourage kids from vaping. first walked through the gate—Broward Cruz had spent almost a minute on County deputies were approaching the second floor. When he reached the the school and had begun radioing their third, there were about 20 people still in status. Peterson repeated the susthe corridor, and he opened fire, striking

Peterson’s been talking for a few hours now, and he’s thinking of heading into town for a burger. “No,” says Lydia, who wears sweats and just finished eating a bowl of cereal at their dining-room table. “You sure?” Peterson asks her. “Yeah, I’m good,” she says. “Trust me. That’s a mental break for me.” “All right,” he says. “See you in a bit.” “All right, dear. Enjoy.” He climbs into his SUV and starts down the dirt road and on toward the diner, a few miles away. Peterson used to ride motorcycles through these roads, and it always seemed peaceful. They’ve gotten to know the area these past couple years. They mostly stay around the house, but there’s a LongHorn Steakhouse down in Blairsville, and they like the Mercier apple orchard over in Blue Ridge. They have season passes to Dollywood, the amusement park. Peterson plays pickleball in the summer. He and Lydia have met some folks around here, neighbors mostly. People are nice, but they’re more polite than actually friendly. “That’s one of the issues,” he says. “And what I’ve learned about cops is, most of them, I think—how can I say it? I think their attitude is ‘I’m glad it’s not me, and as long as it’s not me, I’m going to just scurry away.’ I mean, I knew a lot of people, and I can count on one hand the people that ever even called me.” He looks out the side window, taps a thumb on the wheel. “What do they say? You learn real quick who your friends are when the shit hits the fan.”

He drives on, along a road that skirts the Hiwassee River, passing a gingerbread church and a historical museum with a bear statue out front. “I look at the Sun Sentinel,” he says, the newspaper of Broward County. “I always look at the headlines every morning, just to see what’s going on. Yeah, otherwise— in a way it’s sad, but it’s the way it is.” He says he can’t remember an exact moment when he wanted to be a cop. He just always thought it was an “honorable profession.” He was the youngest of seven kids whose parents had emigrated from Germany and bought and managed a small apartment building in Bay Harbor Islands, north of Miami. Peterson enlisted in the Army in 1983, hoping to join the military police. Instead, during basic training at Fort McClellan in Alabama, he caught double pneumonia, went home to recuperate, and ended up going to college instead of returning to the Army. Two years later, in 1985, he was 22 and finishing his criminal-justice degree when he applied to join the Broward County Sheriff’s Office as a detention deputy at the county’s main jail. Around 1988, Peterson spent a few years as a road patrolman and field-training officer before taking a newly created school-resource-officer position at a small adult vocational school. His job was to police the quiet campus and teach school officials ways to improve safety. Peterson kept that post for the next two decades before joining Stoneman Douglas in 2009. In 32 years on the job, he never discharged his weapon. “I’ve just heard it,” he says, talking about gunfire.

Thirty-two years on the job. A sterling record. And now here he was, having to sneak in the back door of his own home. A disgrace.

At Stoneman Douglas, Peterson monitored 3,200 students across a 45-acre campus with grassy quads amid the buildings. He carried a gun and sometimes responded to two or three fights in a day, along with complaints about drugs or cyberbullying. “I always kept very, very busy. I probably made more arrests than any other Broward deputy,” he says. (The sheriff’s office was unable to confirm that statistic.) One day after school, around 2014, a teacher named Lydia Rodriguez asked him to help jump-start her car’s battery. It took him a few months before he asked her out—they went to Outback Steakhouse on their first date. He was going through his second divorce, with four kids from his first marriage and two stepkids from the second. Lydia, the daughter of Cuban immigrants, has a Brooklyn brogue and the demeanor of someone willing to brawl for the people close to her. She went to college in her 50s and started at Stoneman Douglas just a year after Peterson did. They dated, got serious, and eventually moved into a 55-plus community together; Lydia retired a couple months before the shooting. Their house shared a wall with the house next door. A few days after the Parkland shooting, Peterson’s commanding sergeant called. Cruz had been apprehended about an hour after the attack. Now President Donald Trump was coming to town to meet with victims’ families and shake the hands of first responders. Did Peterson want to meet the president? “I said no. I lost 17 kids,” he says. (Fourteen students, three adult staff.) “Seventeen kids got killed at my school. There’s no need for me to shake hands with people when nothing good came out of that day.”

message read. Then there was another, and another, all saying the same thing— coworkers who were watching the news conference on TV. It was February 22, eight days after the shooting. Peterson was on his way home from a meeting at the sheriff’s office, where, he says, he was brought into a room with a few higher-ups he’d never met before and informed that he was being given two options: He could resign or he could retire, keeping his full pension and benefits. He had turned his department vehicle over to the Broward County MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022 107

Sheriff’s Office, and a lieutenant was driving him home. He didn’t understand the text messages, so he called Lydia. “You can’t come home,” she said. News trucks had parked up and down the street, and reporters were shouting questions through the windows. Now the Broward County sheriff, Scott Israel, was standing at a podium in front of cameras from every local station and every major network in the country. He wore the same green uniform Peterson

“He was armed. He was in uniform. After seeing video, witness statements, and Scot Peterson’s very own statement, I decided this morning to suspend Scot Peterson without pay pending an internal investigation.” The sheriff said that instead of accepting a suspension, Peterson had “resigned and, slash, retired.” The investigation, he said, would continue. “What matters is that when we in law enforcement arrive at an active shooter, we go in and address the target. And that’s what should have been done,” Israel said. He said Peterson “clearly knew” there was a shooter inside. Israel said he was “devastated. Sick to my stomach.” Peterson asked the lieutenant to pull into a Walgreens. The world was spinning, as if in a feverish dream. He clutched his phone. What the hell is happening? He called his neighbor Jim, who agreed to pick him up and sneak him into his house through their adjoining yards. Thirty-two years with the sheriff’s office. A record full of near-perfect performance reviews. And now here he was, having to call an old man to pick him up in a Walgreens parking lot so he could sneak in through the back door of his own home. A disgrace. And then—and then—the next day, the president of the United States stood outside the White House and declared to reporters, and to the world, not only that Scot Peterson was a coward but that he had essentially failed at his life’s work: “Deputy Sheriff Peterson, I guess his name is. . . . He’s trained his whole life . . . but when it came time to get in there and do something, he didn’t have the courage, or something happened, but he certainly did a poor job, there’s no question about that.” Peterson was getting death threats. He couldn’t go to the store. There was a cruiser parked outside the house to protect him, 108 MAY • JUNE 2022 | MEN’S HEALTH

for God’s sake. They couldn’t live here, not like this. A few nights later, around 2:00 in the morning, Peterson and Lydia got in the car and drove to his sister’s. About three weeks later, on March 15, the sheriff’s office released the surveillance video to the whole world. The news networks freeze-framed it on his grainy silhouette standing against a wall, his gun drawn at no one. And they drew a circle around him.

with a kind of Nascar-meets-Route 66 theme, complete with a model stock car mounted over the kitchen and a HIPPIES USE SIDE DOOR sign up front. While he’s waiting for his burger and Diet Coke, his memory goes back to before. “You know what the funny thing was? Lydia wanted me to retire,” he says. “As a matter of fact, I had the flu a few weeks before, and I actually had medication and everything. I had two years of sick time. I didn’t need to go [to work]. I love what I did, though. I enjoyed my job. She was telling me even a year before. She said, ‘Hey, do you think about retiring and stuff?’ My only problem was I was divorced twice, so my pension goes to my ex-wives as well, part of it. I was staying to build and build and build, because I knew when I retired, they were going to get a portion of my FRS pension.” One way or another, a conversation with Peterson always goes back to the shooting. It is what we are here to talk about, yes, but even when you steer toward other topics, the shooting and what he did that day and what’s happened to him since are always where you end up. His voice rises at one

point: “It’s just being hit, like, your whole world,” he says. “I was a cop for 32 years. Honorable, never had—” His eyes drop, he shakes his head. He calls what happened to him a “political lynching.” He says he’s “trapped in hell,” his reputation ruined. “All of a sudden, I’m this media spectacle, and I’m like—and I’m still like—I don’t know what the hell this is even about,” he says. He sometimes speaks in great rivers that branch off into unexpected places, so vast is the scope of it all, so endless are the things he needs to tell himself. . . . So we now have the Florida Department of Law Enforcement starting to investigate the police response to the shooting. Then the state of Florida decides to create the MSD Public Safety Commission. You’re aware of them? . . . And I can sum it up like this: I became a target, and then they looked for a crime. That’s what happened. I became their target and [they] said, “Now we got to go find a crime on this guy.” I know that is a fact, that’s what they tried to do, because the charges are just absolutely bullshit—the charges against me. The most serious charges are child neglect. Those are second-degree felony charges. I’m being charged for that animal, Nikolas Cruz, going on the third floor and shooting those students and staff members. I’m being charged with neglect for that animal and what he did. The problem is in the state of Flor—we have laws, and with laws, there’s elements to a crime. Child neglect—the first element is, you must be a caregiver under Florida law. Under Florida law, under Chapter 39.01, under Chapter 39.01, Eric, Subsection 54, there’s a heading, it says, “Other person responsible for a child’s welfare. . . .”

“It was all happening so fast. But we have this expectation: ‘Well, you should have known he was in the building.’ I wish it was that simple.”

From top: Peterson in court in Fort Lauderdale, June 5, 2019, on charges stemming from the shooting; with his attorney after yet another hearing, August 18, 2021.

From top: Getty Images, Associated Press

Chicago P.D., Law & Order, you know, we watch TV, and you see a cop get on a scene, he runs right into a building, he runs up and shoots it. . . . People have that expectation, but in reality, it isn’t like that. . . . The echoing, it was . . . You couldn’t tell where the shots were coming from at all. It was happening so fast. But you know, we have this expectation: “Well, you should have known he was in the building. You’re right near the building.” I wish it was that simple. . . . And obviously I’m not thinking of this at that moment, but when you look at these buildings, they’re all in clusters, and the echo . . . and everyone who testified, there are more teachers and students who testified the shots were, “Oh, we thought it was at the football field.” One teacher thought it was at the Walmart. She was 80 feet away from me. She goes, “I thought it was over at the Walmart down on Pine.” . . . But that’s why it’s so easy to wrap this in a package and go, “Oh, that deputy should know; he was the first guy there.” It didn’t happen like that. It just didn’t happen like that.

. . . They arrested me. This isn’t just, Oh, hey, we’ll call him the coward of Broward because we want to make people feel good. Even though it’s bullshit, they actually arrested me. It’s nothing, nothing of a citizen in this country, when they take your liberty away—take your liberty away for misconduct, for show, and with no probable cause. That’s frightening. . . . One thing about cops, we’re not trained to stand stationary when you hear gunfire outside. You move for cover. You don’t sit there and then get shot because there’s a possible sniper somewhere in the area. You don’t do that. Long story short, long story short: I tell homicide, “I took a tactical position of cover.” . . . I didn’t even think at that point someone was shooting students in a building. So that portion, or the aspect of it, when people say, “active shooter”—because in the definition of “active shooter” is, you know, someone’s actually shooting people. You know that. You either have the intel that’s coming in,

or you see it, or you see victims. I had none of that. There were no victims anywhere in the area that I was at; there was nobody running out of a building. . . . Now what a lot of people—and nobody talks about this, is: My actual intel of the shots being outside were 100 percent accurate. Because when I reached the east side of the building, right? Nikolas Cruz already had shot people on the first floor in the hallway. Nikolas Cruz, after he went from the east, he went to the west through the hallway. When he got to the west side at the 1200 Building, he opened two double doors to go into an interior stairwell. When Nikolas Cruz entered the west stairwell on the first floor, it was at the same time that security monitor Aaron Feis was opening the exterior door to that stairwell. The door started opening, Nikolas Cruz fired. Well, where’s the gunfire going out? It’s going outside. . . . Unfortunately we all think that.... We watch TV. I don’t care if you watch

investigators and lawyers and witnesses and other cops say should have happened, and it all gets twisted and tangled into what-ifs and contradictions and affirmations we all wish were true, but of course they can’t all be true at once. Peterson says he knows what happened—his legal defense includes pointing out that the Broward County Sheriff’s Office’s activeshooter protocol requires “real-time intelligence” before entering the building, and even then it doesn’t say an officer must enter. He says he knows he did the best he could, knows it better than anything he’s ever known in his life. The reason he knows this, he says, is that he did not, in fact, know what was happening at all. It goes in circles. Peterson says that the sound of the gunfire bounced off the buildings, obscuring the location of the shots. He says that even if he’d somehow deduced that the shooting was actually happening inside the 1200 Building, the death toll might not have changed. He says that given when he arrived, he believes the only difference he could have made was engaging Cruz on the third floor, where ten people were shot MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022 109

“ There’s a light, because joy does come in the morning and God is a God of promises,” his partner, Lydia, says. “But this is tough.” and six died. But to do that, he would have had to first enter the gigantic building, clear each floor, and quickly and correctly triangulate Cruz’s location to engage him. Which he did not try to do. The MSD Commission disputes Peterson’s version. The commission maintains that Cruz was still on the first floor when Peterson arrived at the 1200 Building at 2:23 P.M. It asserts that there was “overwhelming evidence” that Peterson clearly knew the threat was coming from “within or within the immediate area of” the building. The report also declares that, in the era after the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School, it is “well-known” among law enforcement that the response to an active shooter is “to move toward the sound of gunfire and engage the suspect(s).” In June 2019, Peterson and Lydia drove over to Asheville and caught an Allegiant Airlines flight to Fort Lauderdale, where he attended a hearing as part of an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, a statewide agency. He was charged and booked for negligence, a misdemeanor related to perjury, and child neglect, citing the law specific to caregivers. He was then released on bail. The trial is scheduled for this fall. Images of Peterson at his arraignment in handcuffs have already been shared widely. Deep in the MSD Commission report are findings that indicate larger systemic failures that day. Like how one armed officer per campus “is inadequate to ensure a timely and effective response to an active assailant situation” and how Peterson did not have access to a rifle or ballistic vest, which investigators recommended should be made “immediately available” to all school resource officers. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office and the Coral 110 MAY • JUNE 2022 | MEN’S HEALTH

Springs Police, the only agency to receive live updates from 911 operators, were on different law-enforcement radio channels. So even after kids started calling 911 from inside the 1200 Building, their reports of a live shooter weren’t relayed to Peterson. “I took a tactical position of cover at the 700 Building,” Peterson says on the first morning we meet. It’s a phrase he uses at least four times in the days we spend together. You see, he says, despite the radio calls about “strange sounds” coming from the 1200 Building, he always thought there was a sniper. “When I heard the gunfire outside, I was like, There’s gunfire outside—sniper fire.” Peterson never mentioned a sniper in any of the radio dispatches published in the commission report, and there were no shots hitting the ground around him. He says if you “collectively listen” to his transmissions, “there is no doubt” about what he believed. And he says he told Officer Best to focus on the upper floors of the 1200 Building only after school officials reviewing surveillance footage radioed that to him. Either way, investigators pointed out that Peterson had his last active-shooter training in April 2016 and “knew through his training that the appropriate response was to seek out the active shooter.” Instead “he remained in a mostly visible position,” the report notes, “which would be an extremely dangerous position if he truly believed there was a sniper.” And he stayed there for 48 minutes total, even after backup arrived and breached the building. Peterson’s explanation, they concluded, was bullshit. Judgment of him by much of the public remains devastating and unswerving. Cameron Kasky, a former Parkland student who survived and cofounded March

For Our Lives, a movement for more gun control, is the son of a lawyer and a reserve police officer. “He saw danger and ran away,” Kasky says. “He’s an armed agent of the state who colossally failed in his job.” Bitch-ass Scot Peterson. That’s what Kasky calls him.

does his projects—the rickety porch step, the house for the bear cubs. Stuff like that. He likes to clear brush and leaves. He has a chain saw, but when he wanted some taller trees cleared—50, 60 feet—he hired a guy. And he sits in his recliner, and he thinks, and he talks to Lydia. Lately, she finds him staring at hundreds of depositions related to the charges he’s facing in Florida, the ones that would pin some of the blame on him for allowing students in his care to be murdered, and which, if he is convicted, could send him to prison. He explains the minutes that passed as he stood outside, minutes that grow muddier with the passage of time but that simultaneously become clearer in his own mind. He expresses his befuddlement about “what happened.” The day after the attack, the sheriff’s office sent Peterson to meet with a crisis counselor, and a day later he gave a statement to homicide investigators. He was given five sessions with a grief counselor, but after his retirement he found his own therapist. He spent another year in counseling before giving it up when he left Florida and moved to Appalachia. “There have been times that I’ve thought about reinitiating,” he says. In the meantime, he goes to church and listens to Christian music radio, which is blasting in his car when we first get in. When Lydia finds him looking at the court documents, she texts an old friend of his to call him, or she’ll drag him on a day trip—there are some nice towns just over the Tennessee border. And she cries, but not where he can hear. “There’s a light, because joy does come in the morning and God is a God of promises,” she says. “But this is tough.” Lydia started getting on him to go to the gym about a year ago. He’s always been

Peterson built the split-rail fence by his driveway in rural North Carolina, and he clears brush—anything to occupy his mind.

a big guy, strong, but the anxiety of his post-shooting life didn’t make him feel good, or strong. “I started gaining a little weight,” he says. “You got all that stress, then you got weight—that’s a bad combination, obviously. Health-wise.” She would look at him and say, “Babe, you gotta start. . . .” He tries to go five days a week now, early—7:30, most mornings. He does the treadmill for 30 minutes between five and six miles per hour, staring out big windows onto a frozen field. He lifts weights for 45 minutes, ending with lunge squats. As he talks about his routine, the conversation eventually comes back to what it always comes back to. . . . I lost about 45 pounds already, and I’m proud. But I also know physically, you have to. It goes hand in hand, mental and physical. And the stress, that’s unfortunate. We can control stress in our mind, we can compartmentalize it maybe, or do whatever, but it’s always there. . . . With criminal charges, I live every day with that right now. I don’t know what can happen. I

do believe in justice. I do believe in the rule of law, but I’m not a stupid man. If these charges don’t get dismissed—which they should, before this ever goes to trial, once the state attorney really learns and knows the facts of this case—but if it doesn’t, I still have to go to maybe a trial. And then I have six people in Broward County that have my fate—not only my fate, hers, my family, everybody—that hangs then on six people. . . . I’m in limbo. I hate to say it, and I say this to a couple of my buddies, it’s almost like being told you have cancer and you just don’t know if it’s terminal. It’s freezing outside, but he wears only a T-shirt, baggy shorts, and a bright-red headband. He has plenty of old police-logo shirts and hats but doesn’t wear them. Heading home, he gets going again, driving clear past the turnoff to his road, so he has to turn around in the parking lot of an auto shop. He’s worried about a jury. “How can I, as a human being, not sit there and think that people could be persuaded by the tragedy and forget what the facts are and just say, ‘Oh, he should have went in’?”

I ask him, once and for all, if he thinks he could have stopped Nikolas Cruz that day had he entered the 1200 Building. He says, “I go to bed every night knowing I did the best I could with the information I had, which was nothing.” That’s been the subject of much debate, of course. But it’s what he tells himself, because it’s the kind of thing people need to tell themselves, because the most basic truth is that Scot Peterson didn’t save anyone. There were plenty of reasons Cruz ended up at Stoneman Douglas that day—tragic breakdowns in the way society is supposed to protect itself from such people. But this story really doesn’t start until 2:19 P.M. on February 14, 2018, at which point Scot Peterson was the only real defense for every victim that day. Maybe he couldn’t have saved them all. Maybe he’s not a coward, maybe he is. There’s one thing he definitely is not: a victim. ERIC BARTON is a Miami-based journalist who has written for Outside and Food & Wine. MEN’S HEALTH

| MAY • JUNE 2022

111

SIX

2. Sony VPL-VW325ES Native 4K Home Theater Projector

PACK

“I promised myself that once I made real money, I’d invest in a movie room,” Usman says. “It’s where I go to relax and get away from everything, whether I’m watching Pixar movies with my daughter or action films with my buddies.” $5,498; crutchfield.com

3. Gucci Off the Grid Tennis 1977 Sneakers Outside the Octagon, Usman likes to keep his feet fashion-forward. “I grew up watching American movies with these distinguished men that always dressed nicely,” he says. That’s why he wears designer sneakers to events. $770; gucci.com

4. Gym King Fleece Hoodie

KAMARU USMAN The UFC champion credits his 19-fight winning streak to finding the best training and relaxation gear. “I can’t succeed unless I’m using the proper equipment.” This is what helps him stay on top. BY CHRISTIAN GOLLAYAN

1. ProSupps Hyde Nightmare Ice Shaker With this shaker, Usman never forgets to take his supplements. “I can mix in my Hyde Nightmare pre-workout or any smoothie,” he says. $35; prosupps.com

“I love everything Gym King is putting out right now because it fits me so well, like it was designed just for me,” Usman says of his favorite workoutclothing brand. “I can wear this in and out of the gym.” $61; thegymking.com

5. AirPods Pro For working out, traveling, and everything in between, Usman always has these earbuds on hand. “I love these things because they’re so discreet,” he says. “I can run, work out with them, or wear them in bed without disturbing anyone.” $249; apple.com

“When I first entered the sport, I hurt my hands a lot because I wasn’t using the proper gloves,” Usman says. “These ONX gloves are my moneymakers. I was able to squeeze in three fights last year as champion since these were protecting my hands.” From $309; onxsports.com

112

MAY • JUNE 2022

| MEN’S HEALTH

Getty Images (Usman). Courtesy brands (remaining).

6. ONX Sports X-Factor Training Gloves

THE HIGHEST PROTEIN SNACK NUT

We’re ﬂexing our protein power. Whnderful Pistachios is a complete protein snack with all nine essential amino acids. Every 1oz serving has 12% of your daily value of protein. If you had these stats, you’d show off, too.

*Based on percent daily value of protein: pistachios (12%) vs almonds (6%), cashews (6%), and peanuts (8%). © 2022 Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds LLC. All Rights Reserved. WONDERFUL, PLANT PROTEIN, the accompanying logos, and trade dress are trademarks of Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds LLC or its afﬁliates. WP220202-14