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CONTENTS MEN’S HEALTH OCTOBER 2019

COVER STORIES & FEATURES GET SUPERHERO STRONG It worked for Deadpool. Now it’ll work for you. 27 SCULPT A V-SHAPED TORSO Get that upper-body taper. 34 CONQUER YOUR ANXIETY Make it work for you. 43 8 WAYS TO LIFT YOUR MOOD Use the strats when you’re running low on oomph. 46 THE 2019 MH FITNESS AWARDS The best gear to move, lift, play and recover. 73 GET WORLD CUP FIT Train and Gain with Jesse Kriel. 82 WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT DAD You could be digging your own grave – one pint at a time. 96 DIRTY SALADS Our team of star chefs upgrade your limp leaves. 102

THE MH GUIDE TO THE HOTTEST STYLE AND COOLEST LOOKS! PHOTOGRAPH BY GARRETH BARCLAY

F L I PR ! OV E

CONTENTS

P.88 Is CrossFit ffor you? This will help you make up your mind.

35%

UNFILTERED There will be mud. 8 ED’S LETTER Sobering results. 12 ON OUR MIND Mental illness is our biggest health crisis. 14

MH WORLD HALL OF FAME Meet the men who’ve tackled our cover. 19 GREEN AND GOLD Who’s your favourite Bok? 20

ASK THE PHYSIO Sprint laps around sore muscles. 24

MH BODY FASCIA THE TRUTH Build a leaner, stronger body. 30 REPS FOR PECS Pump up your chest in minutes. 32 POWER UP YOUR CREATINE Boost mass and strength. 36

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

BELLY OFF! Given Aphane is running his own race. 38

MH MIND THE START-UP PROJECT Clothes make the man. 48 WEALTH REPORT Your gameplan for stress. 52

MH LIFE BETTER MAN From struggling to walk, this is how Justin Coomber found his feet again. 56

OUTFLANKED Embrace the 30/10 rule. 62

OFF Subscribe to

Men’s Health P.66

MAKE IT A ZERO 0% booze that will turn #OCSOBER into a party. 64

NATURAL FORCES Leave grey and navy in the shade. S.4

HOOKUP DIVIDE The new rules of casual sex. 67

URBAN ACTIVE Take athleisure to the next level. S.12

WHAT A MOVE Welcome to the 2019 RWC (of sex). 70

THE FINISHING TOUCH Sporty-cool accessories. S.14

MH ST YLE INVESTMENT This scent makes every day an adventure. S.3

THE LATE SHIFT Shave minutes off your morning routine. S.20

On the Cover COVER GUY

Jesse Kriel

PHOTOGRAPHER

Garreth Barclay

PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL VALENTIN

UPFRONT

PLAY FETCH How do your pets rate? 22

There Will Be Mud

They run, crawl, climb and leave it all in the dirt for one day; the Tough Mudder community is at the forefront of the obstacle race movement. We look back at last year’s challengers – the scrawny, brawny and pro-athletes alike – and give you a taste of what’s to come at this month’s event.

A REAL, FILTER-FREE LOOK INTO WHAT MATTERS THIS MONTH.

UNFILTERED

BY NADIM NYKER

The Pyramid Scheme 1 A Tough Mudder favourite, this obstacle

tests patience, determination, balance and relationships, too. Contestants have to climb on each other’s shoulders, building a human pyramid to get over the slippery, muddy wall. One down, plenty to go.

TOUGH MUDDER SOUTH AFRICA DATE

15 SEPTEMBER 2018 LOCATION

HOUWTEQ, ELGIN, WC, SOUTH AFRICA

There are over 200 Tough Mudder events in 20 countries globally, and for good reason: with the right dedication and support, anyone can do it. After taking part in the UK event, Andrew Douglas debuted Africa’s first Tough Mudder in the Western Cape’s lush, green Elgin Valley in 2018. Over 3 000 contestants chose between 16km (20 obstacles) and 8km (10 obstacles) of mud and challenges built to test mental grit, teamwork and all-

round physical fitness. They scaled high walls, sloshed through mud and tackled Tough Mudder classics like the Arctic Enema – an obstacle that sees you jump into a pit of ice water. Shock to the system? Absolutely. And the perfect exhilarating finish to a grueling obstacle course race. The event in Elgin is said to be one of the most scenic Tough Mudder challenges on the planet, and Tough Mudder-ing across continents is becoming increasingly popular on OCR bucket lists. Just ask MH Cover Guy Trevor Lagerwey, who flew to Atlanta, Georgia in the United States to compete in the World’s Toughest Mudder after his Elgin adventure. Whether you bring the whole office, convince a friend to tag along or go at it alone, you’ll come out with a beer, a whole lotta mud and a band of brothers.

The Challenge Winner 2 Louis Smit’s

determination, pace and all-out gees helped him stay ahead of the pack throughout last year’s challenge. Tackling the steep and notorious Everest obstacle (3), he won Africa’s first-ever Tough Mudder (4).

2 3

5 6

Surf ‘n’ Turf 5 Tough Mudder

is an all-terrain test of your physical (and mental) stamina. Clamber, slosh and climb your way to the finish line to prove to your mates that you’re not a stickin-the-mud.

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

Electroshock Therapy 6 This obstacle is

not for the fainthearted. As you get closer, you’ll hear it cracking its thousand shocking whips. The aim? To dash through 20 000 watts of electricity. Good luck.

OCTOBER 7

We’re covering the 2019 Tough Mudder, (19 October), across all our social media platforms. Want to enter? Head to toughmudder.co.za to sign up.

Bound by Mud 7 Even the elite mud runners know it’s all about teamwork. Here MH Cover

Guy and pro athlete Trevor Lagerwey lends a hand (read: head) to help others up the daunting Everest obstacle. The Hero Carry (8) is a Tough Mudder staple and there is much to be learnt from carrying someone else (i.e. figuring out how to time your steps while focusing on your balance and communicating your moves).

Have a Blast 9 & 10 No one

finishes the Tough Mudder course solo. The Mudder Nation will have your back, right until the end — where you’ll go into a deep freeze in the Arctic Enema ice pit — and cross the finish line, just in time to thaw out with a victory beer.

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

LETTER FROM THE

EDITOR

Sobering Thoughts

Seems like every time I write this letter, I’m putting a challenge out there – a challenge to myself, and to you, the readers. Two years ago, I did #OcSober for no real reason but to prove to myself (and my mates) that I can do it. After about 10 days, of sobriety I tapped into a few unexpected benefits: all of a sudden, not only did I have loads more energy, I was also thinking clearer. Consequently, I trained harder, more often and for longer. So, with those benefits in mind, I’m doing it SPRING/S ME 2019 again. And not just me, but the whole team here at Men’s Health. And, if you’re ready, you too. Welcome to an alcohol-free issue of MH. On our drinks pages you’ll find virgin cocktails and 0% alcohol beers (p.64). Plus, MH writer Kieran Legg explores SA’s very real (and very dangerous) drinking problem. See: “We Need to Talk About Dad” (p.96). As you page through this issue you might notice a couple of changes. Don’t worry, we’re still the most TRUSTED SOURCE for expert advice on physical fitness THE MAN OF THE MOMENT: DR FEZ MKHIZE ON and bodily health, mental health THE COVER OF OUR SPRING GUIDE TO STYLE. and emotional well-being. But we reformatted our mag to make that info clearer and more accessible. Introducing our three all-new sections: 1. MH Body: Metabolism and muscle tone; strength training and weight loss; sex drive and energy levels; supplements and sleep. 2. MH Mind: Stress, anxiety and depression; grit, resilience, and positive thinking. 3. MH Life: Work-life balance, parenting and relationships, sex, style, food and success. Enjoy the read – and let us know you thoughts! FL IP ! O V ER

Danielle Weakley Editorial Director

Robert Cilliers Editor & Creative Director WANITA NICOL Deputy Editor AZEEZ JACOBS Fashion & Grooming Editor NADIM NYKER Digital Editor KIRSTEN CURTIS Contributing Digital Editor MEGAN FLEMMIT Multimedia Journalist KIERAN LEGG Contributing Copy Editor KELLEIGH KOREVAAR Features Writer THAAQIB DANIELS Content Producer NADIA EKSTEEN Fashion Assistant Contributors: Mark Arendse (Design); Dave Buchanan (Copy Editor); Sidima Mfeku (Intern) Shared services: Kerry Nash (Production Manager James Garaghty (In-House Photographer) Amina Essop (Office Administrator)

CEO MEDIA24 Ishmet Davidson CEO PRINT MEDIA Rika Swart GENERAL MANAGER, LIFESTYLE Minette Ferreira GENERAL MANAGER, MONTHLIES Nerisa Coetzee CFO, LIFESTYLE Jameelah Conway FINANCIAL MANAGER Melanie Leeman MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS PUBLISHER Nikki Ruttimann 011 713 9147 (nikkir@media24.com) COMMERCIAL HEAD OF EVENTS: MONTHLIES Francois Malan 021 406 2376 (francois.malan@media24.com) COMMERCIAL MANAGING EDITOR Gerda Engelbrecht 021 406 2217 (gerda.engelbrecht@media24.com) COMMERCIAL MANAGER Lise Coetsee 021 406 2358 (lise.coetsee@media24.com) DIGITAL CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR Lilitha Johnson 021 406 2320 (lilitha.johnson@media24.com) BRAND COORDINATOR Andile Nkosi 021 406 2257 (andile.nkosi@media24.com) PUBLISHING SALES TEAM BUSINESS MANAGER: MEDIA 24 LEISURE SALES Danie Nell 011 322 0799/076 263 9114 (danie.nell@media24.com) CAPE TOWN: Hannes Burger 076 152 4605 (hannes.burger@media24.com) Nick Fitzell 071 430 6311 (nick.fitzell@media24.com) Daniela Di Giovanni 083 709 7040 (Daniela.digiovanni@media24.com) JOBURG: Kylee Robertson 076 263 9114 (kylee.robertson@media24.com) Jeanine Kruger 082 342 2299 (jeanine.kruger@media24.com) Lizel Pauw 082 876 8189 (lizel.pauw@media24.com) Sharlene Smith 083 583 1604 (sharlene.smith@media24.com) Yumna Rojan 072 399 5789 (yumna.rojan@media24.com) Yelanda Mitchell 074 897 576 (yelanda.Mitchell@media24.com) DURBAN: Mariska Venter 082 898 4376 (mariska.venter@media24.com)

CIRCULATION SALES AND SOLUTIONS CIRCULATION MANAGER Riaan Weyers 021 443 9964 SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER Jenny Marinus (jenny.marinus@media24.com) For any queries, please phone 021 406 2121 Subscription enquiries: 087 353 1300 Fax: 086 457 5943; Email: subs@media24.com; SMS: MensHealthSubs to 32511 (R1 per sms); Web: www.mysubs.co.za/magazine/menshealth Call centre operating hours: 8am-5pm (Monday to Friday) ALL SUBSCRIPTION PAYMENTS TO: Men’s Health, PO Box 16428, Vlaeberg, 8018 REPRODUCTION Media24 PRINTING Novus Print DISTRIBUTION On The Dot 011 402 1205 Copyright © 2009 Media24 (Pty) Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission by Media24 (Pty) Ltd. Men’s Health does not endorse the use of chemical or related slimming products that promise instant or long-term results. Slimming products should not be used as a substitute for a healthy diet and/or exercise. All prices recommended retail selling price.

MAGAZINES INTERNATIONAL SVP/MANAGING DIRECTOR ASIA PACIFIC & RUSSIA Simon Horne DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL LICENSING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Richard Bean SVP/EDITORIAL & BRAND DIRECTOR Kim St. Clair Bodden DEPUTY BRANDS DIRECTOR Chloe O’Brien EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CONTENT SERVICES Shelley Meeks Global Editions / EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

ROB CILLIERS E EDITOR Instagram

@robdcilliers

30 10 12

WITH A LEAUGUE OF GENTLEMAN AT OUR FIRST EVER MH RESIDENCY EVENT

USA Richard Dorment, AUSTRALIA Luke Benedictus, BULGARIA Vladimir Konstantinov, CHINA Gao Zhen, CROATIA Kresimir Sego, GERMANY Markus Stenglein, GHANA Godfred Akoto Boafo, GREECE Vassilis Georgakakos, HUNGARY Máté Pásztor, ITALY Aldo Ballerini, KAZAKHSTAN Irina Utesheva, MALAYSIA Eugene Phua, NETHERLANDS Ronald Janus, NIGERIA Osagie Alonge, POLAND Aneta Martynow, PORTUGAL Pedro Lucas, ROMANIA Mihai Ghiduc, RUSSIA Maxim Semelyak, SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO Ivan Radojcic, SINGAPORE Kelvin Tan, SPAIN Jordi Martinez, THAILAND Chatchawin Unhanun, TURKEY Fatih Büyükbayrak, UNITED KINGDOM Toby Wiseman, LATIN AMERICA Sergio Rodriguez, MIDDLE EAST Carlin Gerbich

Email: tellmh@media24.com Twitter: @MensHealthZA Facebook: MensHealthSA Instgram: menshealthza

WHAT’S 30/1O? Those are the minimum grams of protein and fibre you

need at each meal to help you build muscle and fill up.(p.62)

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

/E/R 10031574JB/

BACK YOUR HERO

FORTUNER

CHALLENGE.CO.ZA OR DIAL *120*62800# Ts & Cs apply. USSD costs 20c per second.

THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE

Mental Illness Is Our Biggest Health Crisis YES, OBESITY IS A WEIGHTY ISSUE, BUT OUR MINDS ARE AT BREAKING POINT. YOUR PATH TO LASTING WELLBEING STARTS IN YOUR HEAD AND NOT AT YOUR WAISTLINE If the quest to trim a few centimetres from your waist is the extent of your commitment to health and well-being, it’s time you stepped off the scale and reassessed your priorities. Sure, we’re the first to advocate

LOOKING AFTER YOUR MIND CAN REBALANCE YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH

that you take care of your body, but a blinkered focus on physical fitness – and nothing else – could leave one all-important organ lagging behind: the brain. This is true on a national in SA, too often our mental health has taken a back seat in the drive for physical perfection. Which isn’t to say obesity isn’t dangerous: almost one-third of all South African adults are obese, according to a report published by the World Health Organisation 1 . Obesity is responsible for more than 4.5 million deaths globally every year and costs the SA economy around R700-billion annually, according to the Discovery Vitality ObeCity Index. Poor mental health affects one in six South Africans and depression is the THIS MONTH’S ADVOCATE third leading mental Simon Gunning illness* 2 . The suicide is CEO of the rate in SA is dropping leading mental health charity 3 , but there’s still a Campaign lot of work to do. For Against Living men, the statistics Miserably (Calm) are particularly grim: in most countries, men are far more likely to commit suicide than the opposite gender. This gender disparity has existed since the 1990s, with research from YouGov finding that 84% of men bottle up their emotions – a damaging way of dealing with problems. Job losses, relationship breakdowns, social media and a volatile political landscape all 14

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

contribute. If you deal with this stress through (no relation) became the latest start-up to earn overeating, you might think that weight gain is unicorn status, valued at over $1bn, is proof of an the sum of your problems, and one that can be appetite for action. easily remedied with a vigorous fitness routine. The scales are slowly starting to tip in Addressing mental health problems (or even the right direction. Last year, following acknowledging their existence) is a far more a campaign by our charity, the British daunting proposition, and not enough help is government appointed its first minister for being provided. suicide prevention, working to support its The disparity in government funding tells five-year plan to combat mental illness. All a story. In recent years, estimates suggest well and good, but change has to start at home. annual government spending in response to Instead of monitoring your waistline, redirect mental illness has stalled at around R100 per your energies to checking what’s going on person. This represents a tiny portion of the inside your head. It might just save your life. government’s total health budget – 12% is earmarked for the sector. Sure, it shines a light on the very real threat of obesity (and other health issues), but, given earlier statistics, it also reveals how severely underfunded mental 2 COSTLY 1 TIPPING 3 TIME FOR health services are. Much of the CURATIVES THE SCALES CHANGE Antidepressant use The World Health There were 21.7 responsibility therefore falls on has doubled in a Organisation suicides per your own shoulders, but there are decade. Prevention warns obesity 100,000 men in SA may work better can cause cancer, in 2016, according plenty of positive outlets beyond than expensive heart disease, and to the World Health medicine and therapy. That treatment**. osteoarthritis. Organisation. the US mindfulness app Calm

THE DEVIL’S DETAILS

WORDS: TOM WARD AND KIERAN LEGG; PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY; IMAGE MANIPULATION: PHIL LUPTON AT PRE MEDIA; *SADAG; **OFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS

scale. While obesity has been deemed a crisis

GO BOLDLY MEANS: “TAKING A CHANCE, DOING SOMETHING NO ONE’S EVER DONE BEFORE”

Photograph: Rudi Geyser/Hero Creative Management; Model: Paul B/Twenty Model Management; Hair and make-up: Alice Coloriti/Supernova Creative Management; Fashion: Robin-Jade Carolus; Shirt, t-shirt and pants all Cotton On.

www.cat.com / www.caterpillar.com © 2019 Wolverine World Wide. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, BUILT FOR IT, their respective logos, “ Caterpillar Yellow”, the “Power Edge” trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission. Medicus, an authorized distributor of Cat Footwear of Wolverine World Wide, a global licensee of Caterpillar Inc.

THE

PROMOTION

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T H E U LT I M AT E G I F T B O X F O R G U Y S

It’ss so cool, It cool you you’ll ll want to buy it for yourself – and you can! It’s the MH Box, a limited-edition gift box filled with everyday guy essentials handpicked by the Men’s Health team. The ultimate gift for a mate – an even better gift for yourself. Head to tobegiftboxes.com and grab yours!

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WORLD

OCTOBER

M E N ’ S H E A LT H B E Y O N D T H E P A G E QUESTION: How should Bok

ADVICE

fans be feeling right now?

“We as the players are excited, we’re very confident,” says Springbok Damian de Allende. “We want the country to get behind us and also be excited. We want their full backing, we want all the support we can get and hopefully, at the end of the World Cup, we can all celebrate as one country and one nation.” Get behind the green and gold: MH.CO.ZA/GUY-SKILLS

Download your digital copy at zinio.com Works on iPad, Mac or PC.

MEN’S HEALTH INSTAGRAM POLL

WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE SPRINGBOK? WE ASKED, YOU ANSWERED.

Jesse Kriel:

NUTRITION

14.7%

Herschel Jantjies:

1.3 MILLION

29%

Siya Kolisi:

The litres of beer enjoyed at England’s Rugby World Cup in 2015.

14.3%

Want to chug back a cold one without the morning-after misery? Alcohol-free drinks are the latest trend to hit a braai (and bar) near you, and they’re surprisingly not rubbish. We chatted to Andrew Copsey, director of food and beverage at Ideas Cartel, who whipped up a few zero-proof cocktails to sub in during halftime when you want to get your drink on and avoid the sin bin: MH.CO.ZA/FOOD-NUTRITION

Handre Pollard:

28%

S’bu Nkosi:

14%

HOW THE BOKS PREPARED ON AND OFF THE PITCH BEFORE HEADING TO JAPAN #MENSHEALTHZA

(@menshealthza on Instagram)

Instagram

@menshealthza

Twitter

@MensHealthZA

Facebook

Jesse Kriel @jessekriel15

20 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

Warrick Gelant @warrickgelant

Elton Jantjies @eltonjantjies

Scan this QR code and see the stories featured

GETTY/GALLO; IMAGES SUPPLIED (INSTAGRAM)

MensHealthSA

TAG HEUER CARRERA CALIBRE 16 Chris Hemsworth works hard and chooses his roles carefully. He handles pressure by taming it, and turning it to his advantage. #DontCrackUnderPressure was coined with him in mind. TAG Heuer Boutiques: Sandton City and V&A Waterfront Also at selected ďŹ ne jewellers nationwide For further information please call 011 669 0500. www.picotandmoss.co.za

THE (Above) AVERAGE A GUY THIS MONTH

HOW W DOYOU R RATE? TE?

Pets!

A SPIDER

THREE HREE DOGS is too many dogs to own, according to 40% of men.

21%

54%

MUSTLOVEPETS

OFMENHAVEUSEDTHEIR PETTOHITONSOMEONE.

of men allow their pet on the furniture.

PETPOPULATIONBYANIMAL:

7.4MILLION,

ranked 10th globally

DOGS

79%

2 MILLION,

ranked 18th Globally

CATS

Source: petsecure.com.au 2017

of Women’s Health h SA readers prefer dogs over cats. So f you wanna impress th he ladies, hold a puppy y.

12%

of men say security or protection was the primary reason they got their pet.

Source: WH Instagram po oll

CELEB DOG DADS OF INSTAGRAM

Have you ever bought clothes for your pet?

26% YES.

Pets need drip too.

J Something

Herschel Jantjies

Eben Etzebeth

Pallance Dladla

Clint Brink

Kevin Anderson

(@jsomethingmusic)

(@hersch09)

(@ebenetzebeth4)

(@pallancedladla)

(@clintonthebrink)

(@kandersonatp)

22 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

74% NO. Just no.

Source: Men’s Health twitter poll

MONAMAKELA/GETTY IMAGES (MAN WITH DOG), LIGHTFIELDSTUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES (FRENCH BULLDOG), OLESYA22/GETTY IMAGES (CAT), DESIREE NAVARRO/GETTY IMAGES (VAN WINKLE), SIMON MURELL/GETTY IMAGES (SPIDER), CONRADO DELA CRUZ/EYEEM (DOG ON COUCH), JULIA CHRISTE/GETTY IMAGES (DOG WITH CROWN)

The pet least likely to win its owner a second date.

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WORLD

Ask The Physio

BRING IN THE STRETCHER

Cramping up on your morning runs? Try these on-the-road stretches for immediate relief

STRAIGHT-UP ADVICE FROM A STAND-UP GUY, EVERY MONTH.

The sides of my feet are in agony after I run. Is this normal?

MEET FLOYD LEBATIE He’s a sports physio who specialises in preventing and rehabbing rugby injuries. Use his advice to sprint laps around sore muscles, power up your posture and recover in record time. My desk job is killing my posture. How can I turn things around?

At my practice, I have many patients who are desk jockeys – and they’re all worried about their postures. However, there’s no such thing as a the perfect posture. Normal posture is extremely variable, so it shouldn’t be your objective to pursue this ideal. Instead, you should shoot for a spine that functions well and is pain-free. Typically, I prescribe the “motion is lotion” approach. It’s a movement solution you can do during the workday by walking 20 steps every hour to ensure your posture isn’t just stuck in one position for 24 hours. Outside of work, I suggest cross-training to give the body movement variability.

I often ask my patients, “Is it painful or does it just feel like heavy work?”. If you are experiencing pain, then we have a problem. I strongly suggest a full evaluation by a physio in this case. A common problem with runners – those with high arches and wearing minimalist shoes – is that they can develop stress fractures on the fifth metatarsal. (Extreme pain in your foot – or both feet is a common symptom.) To manage this, we need to diagnose the issue and correct the biomechanics. You’ll also need to switch to more appropriate footwear.

My fingers start to tingle after typing all day. Should I be worried?

Experiencing tingling and heaviness are common symptoms when a nerve is irritated. As a physiotherapist, I would check to see if there’s irritation at the wrists (i.e. carpal tunnel syndrome), elbow (i.e. cubital tunnel syndrome) or the neck (i.e. C7 neuropathy). There are numerous potential diagnoses: it can be caused by repetitive strain or be the result of a previous injury or condition. Any of these conditions can be managed – in part – with neuroglide exercises. These moves make your nerves more resilient to stress, but you’ll need a physio to guide you through each step initially.

I get injured often, whether it’s playing 5-a-side or hitting the treadmill after work. Any

tips to prevent injuries?

Maybe think of switching to mastering one exercise (or sport) at a time. If you want to play 5-a-side – pain-free – you should condition your body appropriately with a specific injury protocol. For soccer we have the Fifa 11+ Warmup Protocol (look it up online) that’s been proven to reduce injury risk. If you merge that evidence-based protocol with rehab moves recommended by your physio (based on your personal risk factors) you’ll reduce your chances of being stretchered off next time you play.

I’m definitely overweight and struggle with chronic back pain. Will dropping kilos alleviate the agony?

It depends. In the scientific community, we all agree that back pain is multifactorial (it can have multiple causes) and that’s why there really isn’t a one-sizefits-all approach to managing it. However, recent research has shown that fatty tissues can lead to inflammation and cause pain. Plus, losing weight will take some strain off your body. In my experience, I’ve seen people lose weight and experience significant reductions in pain.

I want to speed up my recovery, should I be jumping in an ice bath? Hitting the sauna?

In my opinion, the best forms of recovery are super boring – and most people mess them up. The cornerstones of recovery are sleep (the full eight hours), drinking sufficient water and eating a balanced diet. These are the foundational components of recovery for pro athletes and weekend warriors alike. Boost this routine with regular sports massages.

Foam rolling, yay or nay?

Foam rolling, when done properly, can help increase flexibility and reduce stiffness. Take note: these effects are usually short-lived, and a foam roller isn’t going to boost your strength. For some of my patients, foam rolling has helped reduce pain, too.

1. Superficial Calf Stretch Stand with one foot in front of the other, front knee slightly bent. Keep back knee STRAIGHT with your heels on the ground. Keep spine in a neutral position with abs and glutes tight. Feel that stretch all along your back leg? Hold it for 30 seconds or until the cramp stops. Switch legs and do it again. That’s one rep; complete three times.

2. Deep Calf Stretch Stand with one foot in front of the other, front knee slightly bent. Keep back knee BENT with heel on the ground. Keep spine in neutral position with abs and glutes tight. Feel that stretch along your calf and back leg? Perfect. Hold it for 30 seconds. Switch legs and do it again. That’s one rep; do it three times.

3. Thigh Stretch While standing, grab the ankle of the cramping leg. Pull ankle behind, towards your butt. Make sure your back stays straight and doesn’t arch (try focus on keeping your abs and glutes tight). Hold stretch for 30 seconds or until the cramp stops.

Follow Floyd @floydlebatie on Twitter and Instagram for more stretches (and injury solutions).

24 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

IMAGES SUPPLIED, GETTY IMAGES (STRETCH)

Most people find doing a session of Pilates (or yoga) significantly combats the effects of prolonged sitting. My last piece of advice: think ergonomic. Whether it’s an ergonomic chair, repositioning you screen or investing in a standing desk, these steps can help prevent chronic pain and posture issues.

Fascia the Truth! Pump Up Your Chest Get That Upper-Body Taper Power Up Your Creatine

THE MH ULTIMATE SERIES

Get BANG! S perhero POW! Strong ZOWIE! It worked for Deadpool. Now it’ll work for you.

Celebrity trainer Don Saladino specialises in rapid transformations. He’s spent his career packing muscle onto the likes of Ryan Reynolds and Zachary Levi. “A four-week transformation is possible,” Saladino says. “But it’s not easy.” The workout that’ll get you started on the road to a superhero body is here. Cape not included.

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 27

BODY

DIRECTIONS: Do this workout 4 days a week, lifting heavy while maintaining good form. In week 1, do 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps for each move. In week 2, do 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps. In week 3, do 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps. In week 4, do each move for 40 seconds, then rest 20 seconds; do 3 rounds of each move. On non-training days, aim to spend half an hour jogging, walking or playing a sport.

2. THE WORKOUT

(a)

Rear-Foot-Elevated Split Squat

Stand in front of a bench or box about 40cm high, holding dumbbells at your sides. Place the top of your right foot on the bench. This is the start (a). Bend your left knee, lowering until your left thigh is parallel to the floor (b). (Your right leg will bend as you do this.) Pause, then stand back up. That’s one rep. Do a full set on each leg.

(b)

1. THE WARM-UP Side Plank Knee-to-Elbow

Lie on your left side, left forearm on the floor, legs extended and stacked. Raise your hips off the floor, forming a straight line from torso through feet. Extend your right hand straight over your head. This is the start (a). Tuck your right knee to your chest; tuck your right elbow toward your knee as you do this (b). Squeeze your abs, then return to the start. That’s one rep. EB SAYS:

Your first focus on this exercise is owning that side plank. Don’t let that position get sloppy as you bring knee to elbow elbow.

(a)

(b) (a)

Romanian Deadlift

Stand holding medium-weig ght dumbbells at your sides, feet hiph width apart, core braced, knees slightly bent. This is the start (a a). Hinge at your hips and push yo our butt backward, lowering your torso o. Hinge forward until you feel a slight stretch s in your hamstrings; take 5 secon to do this (b). Pause, then stan squeezing your glutes. That’s

28 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALLIE HOLLOWAY

YOUR MUSCLE MASTER

Ebenezer Samuel, is a certified strength and conditioning expert who has trained with professional and Olympic athletes.

3. THE FINISHER

(b)

Rack-Down Carry Dumbbell Bilateral Tempo Row

(a)

Stand holding dumbbells, your feet shoulder--width apart, knees slightly bent. H Hinge forward. Let the dumbbellss hang naturally. Squeeze your shoulder blades and tighten your core. This is the start (a). Without moving your torso, row both dumbbells toward your hips, then pause on nce they are as high as you can get th hem (b). Lower back to the start, takin ng 3 seconds to do this. That’s one rep p.

Stand holding one dumbbell at your right side and one at your left shoulder. Tighten your core and work to stand perfectly upright. This is the start. Walk forward for 40 seconds (if you’re working out in a small area, take 3 steps forward, then 3 steps backward until time runs out), rest for 20 seconds, then immediately begin the next set. Do 3 sets per side. side

EB SAYS:

Focus on driving your elbows high, not on contracting your biceps. Your goal with this move is building lat size and strength, not getting big arms.

(a)

Single-Arm Half-Bench Press

EB SAYS:

This is as much about your chest as it is about your abs. Squeeze your abs and glutes on the off-bench side hard throughout each set.

Lie on a bench holding a dumbbell in your right hand. Slide toward the right side so that the right half of your torso is off the bench. Extend your left arm straight above or straight out to your side. This is the start (a). Bend at your right elbow, lowering the dumbbell until it’s within a few centimetres of your chest (b). Press back up. That’s one rep. Do a set of the required reps on each side.

(b)

SUPERSET EB SAYS:

(b)

( ) (a)

Avoid swingin ng your elbows back b and forth on these kickbacks. Do oing so takes the fo ocus off your tris.

(b)

(a)

a) Bent-Over Triceps Kickback

Stand holding light dumbbells at your sides, then hinge forward until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor. Raise your elbows so that your upper arms are parallel to the floor. This is the start (a). Moving only at the elbows, press the weights straight back (b). Pause. Return to the start. Do the required reps, then shift into position for the next move.

b) Tempo Biceps Curl

Return to standing position; this is the start (a). Curl both dumbbells upward toward your chest; pause and squeeze your biceps hard at the top (b). Lower back to the start, taking 3 seconds to do this. That’s one rep. Do the required reps.

WANT MORE workouts that will guide your transformation? Head to speedshred.co.za

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 29

BODY

Fascia the Truth!

that soak up water, collagen and various other cells. Its main job: to hold your muscles, joints, tendons and bones in place. Fascia covers every muscle in your body, and when it tightens in the wrong places, it causes pain. You’ve felt this pain before, all those times you wrapped up a serious muscle sesh and could barely walk upstairs. Much like a sport coat, the tissue surrounding your muscles can bunch, wrinkle and stretch. And when it gets injured, it rebuilds as scar tissue, with fibres in a crisscrossing pattern. Fibres on healthy muscles and fascia all run in the same direction; when they crisscross, they bunch up even more and can pull and tug at joints. There’s a good chance you’ve experienced this before, too, and you may have solved it with the most common method of realigning these fibres: foam-rolling. Doing so properly helps loosen damaged areas, relaxing and smoothing them. Take your fascial care to the next level with these strategies.

PIXEL CATCHERS/GETTY IMAGES

THE SECRET TO BUILDING A LEANER, STRONGER BODY (AND MOVING PAIN-FREE, TOO!) LIES NOT IN YOUR MUSCLES BUT IN ALL THE STUFF AROUND THEM. BY MARISSA GAINSBURG

For years, scientists researching pain, movement and recovery had no interest in the weblike tissue known as fascia, which coats your muscles, nerves and organs. But things have changed. Researchers – and savvy trainers – now view fascia as your secret weapon both in and out of the gym. If you take care of it, your body will perform better while you’re working out and you’ll experience less pain overall. “Fascia is one of the most important and pervasive systems, because it connects every system together,” says Dr Rebecca Pratt, a professor of anatomy. To understand how this critical tissue works, imagine an orange. The peel is your skin. Directly beneath that peel is a white, gauzelike substance that surrounds each orange wedge and ensures that the orange maintains its spherical structure. That gauze-like substance is your fascia, a connective wrap made of gelatinesque glycoproteins

30 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

Six Problems, One Fix

Fascia can be the cause of – or solution to – any muscle issue that saps energy or mobility. Here are six common problems – and how you can control them.

SHOULD YOU TRY SCRAPING THERAPY? The rub on the painful fascial massage athletes swear by.

Headaches

Blame your desk job: that stabbing pain at your temples is often related to cranky neck fascia. When your head and shoulders shift forward instead of staying aligned with your spine, the muscles (and the fascia around them) at the base of your head tighten, while the ones that control your shoulders grow weak. Your pectoral fibres also tighten, pulling your shoulders further forward. The combo in this sensitive area leads to tension headaches. YOUR MOVE: Strengthen your shoulder and back muscles and open your chest all at once with seated rows. Aim to do 3 sets of 12 at least 3 times a week.

Limited Movement After Injury After surgery or a severe injury, your body forms collagen-based scar tissue that can replace healthy fascia. The problem: normal tissue fibres line up parallel to one another. Scar tissue develops in a haphazard way, limiting your muscles’ ability to lengthen and contract. YOUR MOVE: Once the damaged area has healed, begin gentle massage techniques, like gliding the skin forward and back, then side to side, for several minutes a few times a day, realigning fascial fibres.

Back Pain A Lack of Athleticism Researchers recently discovered that fascial tissue stores more kinetic energy than any other type of tissue. In fact, the springiness of fascia (not powerfully muscled calves) is the driving force that allows kangaroos to make 9-metre leaps. Because of this relationship, experts think plyometrics training makes your fascia more durable and resilient by increasing its density. YOUR MOVE: Forget fixing your fascia and actually strengthen it. Three times a week, spend up to 5 minutes doing agility ladder drills. Don’t have a ladder? Do 3 sets of 10 to 20 jump squats.

Sticky Joints

Tightness in muscles and surrounding fascia can cause joints to stiffen, making your body move in ways that can create long-term issues. An example: tight calves reduce your toes’ ability to flex toward your shin, changing your gait. YOUR MOVE: Foam-roll or stretch any tense area right after each workout, since your muscles respond best when warm. Try to do three 30-second standing calf stretches (legs straight, heels down) daily.

Where your thoracic (middle) and lumbar (lower) spine meet is a nightmare zone. Restricted fascia anywhere – particularly in your hamstrings or quads – can pull on the fascia here. If you work a desk job, it likely means trouble in your psoas, a muscle in your hip flexors that lets you lift your knee and is vital to core strength. YOUR MOVE: Because it’s located so deep in your pelvic region, releasing the psoas is challenging. Stretch your hip flexors (try pigeon pose), and foam-roll your hamstrings at least twice a week.

Unhappy Feet

Plantar fasciitis, or heel pain due to inflamed fascia in the sole of your foot, strikes 2 million people each year, especially runners. It’s often due to calf tightness – or flat feet. YOUR MOVE: Roll your feet over a TriggerPoint Grid Ball for a minute each. In addition to that, foam-roll your calves for up to 5 minutes each.

I’M ON a massage table and a physical therapist digs what looks like a tiny metal scythe into my left shoulder. I try stay still as he rubs along my triceps, scraping hard. This isn’t a scene from Guantanamo Bay; it’s my monthly visit to BFX Performance for fascial scraping, a painful procedure that’s supposed to help, um, relieve pain. It’s the cutting edge of fascial care. Also known as Graston, fascial scraping involves a therapist “massaging” your skin with blade-like objects that do what your foam roller can’t, pressing the skin ultra close to the fascia. That lets the therapist more directly affect this tissue. All that rubbing leads to tiny red marks, as capillaries burst right below the skin. It also promotes blood flow and realigns new fibres. This helps you recover faster than you would by simply foam-rolling. If you need to get back in action and have a high tolerance for pain, go get Graston. —Ebenezer Samuel

TriggerPoint Grid Ball R299 from Sportsmans Warehouse

The experts: david nolan, an associate clinical professor of physical therapy; chad waterbury, a physical therapist and neurophysiologist.

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 31

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BODY THE 45-MINUTE WORKOUT

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

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

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

(b)

Standing Row

Stand with feet shoulderwidth apart, knees slightly bent. Hinge forward and grasp a barbell with an overhand grip. Pull the bar to your shins, torso at a 45 degree angle (a). Tighten your core, squeeze your shoulder blades, and pull the bar to your chest. Pause (b). Slowly lower back to the start. That’s one rep.

(a)

EB SAYS:

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

2 (a)

34 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

(b)

Dumbbell Incline Bench Press

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

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALLIE HOLLOWAY

(b)

Stand with mediumweigh ht dumbbells at you ur sides, palms facing g in (a). Squeeze your shoulder blades. Curl the right d dumbbell up toward your c chest, rotating your palm toward your shoulder (b). Pa ause, then lower the dumb bbell back to the start. Repeat on the other arm. That’ss one rep.

(a)

Dumbbell Overhead Press

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

EB SAYS:

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

6 (a)

Triceps Pressdown

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

D Dumbbell Bicep Curl B

(a)

(b)

V-Sit Kick-Out

Lie on your back. Tighten your abs, raising your back off the ground, torso at a 45 degree angle. Place your hands on the ground and raise your legs 7-9cm (a). Keeping your upper body steady, pull your knees to your chest – let them bend as you do (b). Pause, then slowly return to the start. That’s one rep.

(b)

EB SAYS:

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

(a) MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 35

BODY Seek the Crystals No matter how much you can curl, creatine doesn’t dissolve easily in a shaker bottle. Roussell recommends buying a product that contains micronised creatine. “This is creatine that’s been broken down into smaller crystals. The greater surface area improves its ability to dissolve in water,” he says. Onegood brand: Creapure, which scientists use regularly in studies and research, and which has a long track recordofsafetyand purity,Roussellsays.

Turn Off the ’Lytes There’s no need to pay more for a creatine with added sodium, magnesium or other electrolytes. Yes, these nutrients may support exercise performance, endurance and recovery; but electrolytes don’t enhance creatine’s effects, Roussell says. If you want electrolytes with your creatine supplement, just mix the powder with a sports drink.

Count Your Carbs

Power Up Your Creatine THIS NUTRIENT HELPS GENERATE ATP, FUEL FOR EXPLOSIVE EXERCISE. MORE ATP EQUALS MORE GYM REPS. THE RIGHT BOTTLE OF CREATINE CAN BOOST MASS AND STRENGTH. THE WRONG ONE MAY DO NOTHING. BRITTANY RISHER EXPLAINS HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE.

Go Monohydrate

Prioritise Powders

Most research done on the amino acid creatine shows that creatine monohydrate is the safest, most effective form of the supplement, says Dr. Andrew Jagim, director of sports-medicine research at the Mayo Clinic Health System. Other forms (ethyl ester, hydrochloride, magnesium chelate) are usually more expensive, and don’t have the same breadth and depth of scientific backing.

“Creatine is not stable in liquid solution,” Jagim explains. “That’s one reason you have to mix powders well and drink them quickly.” So skip the liquid creatine. And unless you love taking pills, skip those too. You generally have to swallow two to five capsules daily to achieve the recommended five-gram dosage, says Dr. Mike Roussell, nutrition consultant and author of The MetaShred Diet.

36 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

Look for This Seal Since many international bodies don’t evaluate supplements, you need to CYA. Luckily, all you have to do is check for the NSF International “Certified for Sport” mark. This seal means that the product contains what the label says it does, has been tested for contaminants and for substances banned by major athletic organisations, and is made at a facility audited twice annually for quality and safety.

The Bottom Line Choose micronised creatinemonohydrate powder (write all that down if you have to) with the NSF seal on the label. Just make sure you’re taking in some carbohydrates with your creatine. They help your muscles absorb the supplement.

ILLUSTRATION BY BEN MOUNSEY-WOOD

SUPPLEMENT LAB

Carbohydrates help drive creatine into your muscles, says Roussell, who adds that most studies show a benefit from 80 to 100 grams of carbohydrates. If you’re low-carb, don’t freak out. “Forty grams is probably sufficient – and still better than just creatine alone,” Jagim says. Some creatine powders contain carbs, and mixing with a sports drink works here too.

Big Match on? friends coming over? Whatever the occasion, braaiing is the perfect way to entertain your friends and family. And now NEW Royco® Liquid Marinades have made it even easier to bring the flavour…

6 Tips to help you create the perfect braai occasion Coat your braai grid with non-stick spray before you braai – makes it easier to clean after. To clean a braai grid, halve a lemon, dip in coarse salt and then scrub. Run out of ﬁrelighters? No problem, candles and pinecones work just as well. Submerge your wors in water before braaiing to make it less likely to fall apart. Don’t have a marinade brush? Just use a rosemary branch instead. No need to clean it afterwards. Spice up your braai this summer with a NEW Royco® Liquid Marinade available in Sticky Sweet, Smokey BBQ and Garlic & Herb ﬂavours.

For all recipes, visit www.royco.co.za

LOST 28KG!

Running His Own Race / BY THAAQIB DANIELS

“Man up!” “Fight like a man!” We’ve all heard sayings like this before, and they give us the perception that men are not allowed to be weak or feel fear. Which in turn causes men to hide their emotions and weaknesses, in order to portray a “manly”, ultra-strong persona. Twenty-six-year-old Given Aphane has dealt with many body-image issues in his life, but he’s found a way to build his confidence – by running through his problems, not from them.

38 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

GIVEN APHANE

BEFORE

LOCATION: Johannesburg OCCUPATION: Private Banker AGE: 26 HEIGHT: 1.7m WEIGHT BEFORE 91kg WEIGHT AFTER 63kg TIME TO GOAL 9 months

THE PROBLEM

“Growing up, I always had body-image issues. But I never spoke about it because, as a boy, you’re supposed to be ‘tough’. These are issues that are not discussed enough,” says Given. “We can thank patriarchy and its societal structures and genderspecific generalisations for that.” Given was unhappy with his weight, which made him self-conscious about the clothes he wore and how he came across to people. “It had a significant impact on my overall confidence, which I carried with me into adulthood and still struggle with today,” he says. THE LESSON: Self-image conversations should happen more frequently with young boys and girls, so that self-love and self-worth become ingrained from an early age. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GARRETH BARCLAY

BODY SIDELINE SQUAD

Gugulethu Mashaba

We want to hear your weight-loss and personal success stories! Email us at tellmh@ media24. com.

Childhood friend and running buddy Gugulethu Mashaba witnessed Given’s transformation from Day 1. Here’s what she’s learnt from his journey.

Go All In “Given and I have had similar issues with weight. He inspired me every time he went on a diet because I would see the results. But when he went back to bad eating, the weight would come back, and fluctuate all the time. This time he invested fully in his journey, made great progress, and achieved his goals.” A Strong, Positive Mindset “Given has always been a person who will pursue his passion until he succeeds, so his mindset during his journey was in the right place. It made it easier for him to achieve his goals.”

READY TO LOSE YOUR BELLY? USE OUR PLAN TO TRANSFORM YOUR BODY – START TODAY AT BELLYOFF.CO.ZA

THE CHANGE

“In 2016 I joined the gym and started exercising moderately, while trying to maintain a healthy diet,” Given recalls. “I thought I would lose weight, but I wasn’t getting the results. I’d reached a plateau; even though I was putting in the work, I wasn’t losing the weight I expected to, and was disheartened. And I decided to stop altogether.” But in 2017 he’d gained weight, and was unhappy with how he looked. It was time to do things properly. “I’d reached my breaking point,” Given says. “So I immersed myself fully into a healthy lifestyle.” THE LESSON: Weight loss (and maintenance) is mostly about what you eat; a healthy diet, combined with exercise, is what gets results.

THE STRATEGY

“I cut carbs out of my diet, and started running religiously and gymming more seriously this time,” says Given. It worked. “I started noticing significant results. I developed a passion for running, and started entering half marathons – the Jacaranda City Challenge, and the Discovery run series in 2019. “I enjoyed the runs; they helped me achieve my weight goals and kept me motivated.” They still do: Given is currently training for the Soweto Marathon, and his ultimate goal is to conquer Comrades. THE LESSON: Just start. Take baby steps, and set goals, no matter how small. Then ensure you work consistently on achieving them.

THE RESULT

Given smashed his weight goals. “I had initially set a goal for my body weight to be around 75kg; and with focus, determination and consistency, I reached my goal and even surpassed it,” he says. “I was dedicated to becoming the best version of myself I could possibly be – and still am. Currently I weigh 63kg; I can confidently say that I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been, and I’m finally comfortable in my own skin. “This journey has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, and I’m glad I pushed through.” THELESSON: You can accomplish anything that you want in life through hard work, patience and consistency. Your dreams, goals and aspirations are achievable.

Be Consistent “Ever since he started his journey Given’s posted pics of himself at the gym, working out and looking really good. This shows that he’s very dedicated and consistent with his journey. It’s not just seasonal for him – it’s a lifestyle.” Celebrate Small Victories “Given is more confident with showing off his new body, and he looks amazing! He takes more pictures now, and he looks really happy and healthy, which he has always wanted to achieve.” Challenge Yourself “Given’s constantly challenging himself by entering long-distance runs, and always finishes with a smile. I know Comrades is his next goal, and with his positive attitude and mindset, I’m certain he’ll come out stronger than ever and ready for the next challenge.” MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 39

PROMOTION

R O F E VOT U R YO R I T E F AV O U

WHOSHOULD BETHE NEXT MEN'SHEALTH COVERGUY? WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE SEARCHING SOUTH AFRICA FOR OUR NEXT COVER GUY. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR: A MAN WHO HAS THE CONFIDENCE, LOOKS, BODY AND THE LIFESTYLE TO BE OUR COVER GUY WINNER FOR 2019. SOMEONE WHO LEADS BY EXAMPLE, IS FIT AND HEALTHCONSCIOUS, INSPIRES OTHERS AND EMBODIES, IN EVERY WAY, THE IDEAL OF THE WELL-ROUNDED MODERN MAN. IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO HELP US CHOOSE A WINNER. GO TO COVERGUY.MH.CO.ZA AND HAVE YOUR SAY ON WHO YOU THINK SHOULD BE ON THE COVER OF THE DECEMBER 2019 ISSUE!

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Spot Brain Cancer Lift Your Mood Six Steps to Success Accomplish More With Less

One in 5 five South Africans – 10 million people – are affected by anxiety disorders every year; but MH advisor DR. DREW RAMSEY says you can learn to make it work for you. Take a page from the psychiatrist’s playbook to understand and conquer your anxiety.

R U O Y Y T E I X N A E K A M

R E W O P R E P U S Tim [not his real name] put his head in his hands and started to cry. “I’m so messed up; this thing controls me.” Clinical prowess means clinical timing, and mine was off that day. I looked Tim in the eye: “I think your anxiety is your superpower.” Messed up? It was hard to agree with him. Tim’s life was what men hope for. He was 39 years old, in great shape, powerful and wealthy, and his wife and kids adored him. Yet inside he was a maelstrom of fear and worry. He’d wake up in the middle of the night in a sweat and review his sent

PHOTOGRAPHS BY KIERAN LEGG

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 43

MIND emails for errors. Important meetings meant crampy bowels. He started drinking at night and couldn’t fall asleep without at least “a couple”. He’d get a weird tingling feeling in his fingers. Three times in the past year, a searing pain in his chest forced a trip to the ER and eventually a referral to me, a psychiatrist. Anxiety makes us human. Our psyche is tuned to scan the environment for threats and to anticipate danger. And this is what frustrates so many of my patients: their worries and fears often drive their success, but they can also overwhelm it. That’s where I come in. Harness your anxiety and it can clue you in to what’s actually happening in your world, and you can use that information to raise your daily game. Male anxiety is serious business. Untreated, it can be disabling, increasing the odds of alcohol abuse, drug abuse and depression, and doubling the risk of a fatal heart attack. Anxiety also fosters avoidance, something men already struggle with when it comes to mental health. But with proper treatment, you’ll understand your anxiety, which helps you really zero in on what’s not working in your life and then manage things better. For instance, Tim’s anxieties offered useful cues that aided us in figuring out ways his life could run more smoothly. Here’s what I’ve found works for anxiety-ridden guys like Tim.

FA C E YOUR YO U R FEARS FEARS FACE FIRST, I RULE out any medical causes of anxiety; then we focus on symptoms. The goal of treatment isn’t to turn off a patient’s radar but rather to tune it. Anxiety tends to get stuffed down instead of surfaced and understood. So honour your anxiety as a signal to look deeper. Usually this feeling has a pattern to it, and my patients use this 44 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

pattern to help crack the code of their anxiety. The feeling often relates to our perceived notion of control (which is why the fear of flying is so common) and our unconscious fears of our own fragility and mortality. Tim and I did a deep dive into his worries. When did his anxiety start? Does it “live” in a certain part of his body? What are the triggers? What makes it better or worse? Did he worry as a kid? Are other members of his family anxious? Family dynamics, especially conflicts with parents, spouses and children, are common triggers. I asked Tim to be Sherlock Holmes, as the details of a person’s anxiety

lie in the cognitive distortions and psychology that drive it. Clinically, some worries have a clear, conscious explanation, like a meeting with the boss, and they become amplified in a patient with anxiety. Other times, they’re part of a syndrome such as generalised anxiety disorder or panic disorder (which was part of the case with Tim). Anxiety also runs in families. Having a family member with an anxiety disorder greatly increases the odds of you having one as well. But sometimes the cause isn’t clear. Tim would describe a feeling of tightness in his throat some days, even when

relaxing at home. This was a major hint. What emerged was that Tim had serious relaxation issues. As his career took off, family time became an afterthought. He wasn’t worried about his inbox; he was worried that he was an absent, overworked and irritable father. It wasn’t rocket science, but it was an idea that he hadn’t ever aired out as meaningful. Today, Tim knows his tingly fingers and chest pain are symptoms of his panic disorder. He now sees the choking feeling as a sign that he’s not present with his wife and kids in some way. Then he follows the essential next steps to support his recovery.

G R A B YOUR YO U R TOOLS TO O LS GRAB THESE STRATEGIES are like having a mental-health Leatherman in your pocket. RECRUIT YOUR BREATH: Breathing is your number-one anxiety fighter because it soothes your nervous system. We reframed Tim’s tingly fingers as a signal to focus on his breath. Many breathing techniques work; start as simply as inhaling through your nose for four counts and out through your mouth for six. BURN AND NURTURE: Panic attacks and other anxiety symptoms don’t feel like superpowers. But having the skills to know your body’s cues and to stay nourished and rested to prevent the panic? That makes you unstoppable. I recommend discharging anxiety through intense physical exercise. For Tim, that meant CrossFit three times a week. And since you’re more susceptible to bouts of anxiety after a few nights of poor sleep or during times of low blood sugar, it’s important to create a structure of healthy eating and self-care. REBOOT YOUR MIND: Cognitive behavioural therapy helps people better understand, express and reframe their internal emotional experience. CBT is based on the premise that much of our distress is caused by faulty thinking patterns. You learn to recognise “cognitive distortions”, such as all-or-nothing thinking, catastrophising, and scolding yourself. TAKE MEDICINE: For some, medication is a silver bullet. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are effective but require a month to work, so for immediate relief, people often take benzodiazepines like Xanax, Ativan and Valium. When I met Tim, he was drinking, not sleeping well and lived in fear of a panic attack. I started him on Lexapro and Ativan. This got him to focus better at work and helped him sleep. Understanding and building tools to deal with anxiety is nearly impossible in a crisis, so meds gave us some runway to do our work and gave Tim the symptom control he needed to function.

TEST T E S T YOURSELF, Y O U R S E L F, OVER O V E R AND A N D OVER OV E R

PLAN P L A N AND A N D MONITOR MO N ITO R

WHILE THE psychological causes of anxiety are complex, the approach that works is rather simple: understand and confront your fears through exposure. Exposure should be gradual, intense and frequent. For some forms of anxiety, how to confront your fears is obvious. Worried about public speaking? Join Toastmasters and make speeches. Terrified of dating? Time for Tinder! You get the drift. Other times, as with Tim, it takes a minute. Tim wasn’t scared of email; after all, his email game was tight. He was worried that valuing his family put him in conflict with his boss, who didn’t have kids, and with his professional goals. Tim’s entire world had become his inbox. It struck me one day how much he valued his family time, but how the fear of looming emails dominated his weekends. My long-term plan for him was ambitious: a holiday with his phone off. We started with no phone for a few hours on Saturday morning. Just 45 minutes in, his mind was racing, his fingers were tingling and he was so distracted he burnt the French toast he was making for his kids. The road to recovery is like this at first. Naming anxiety doesn’t tame it. For Tim, the Lexapro helped him tolerate more exposure and also improved his mood a bit. Instead of forcing him to go on holiday with his phone off, we replaced that challenge with a daily one: he now has a “phone jail” that stores his device during dinner, and for much of the weekend.

FINALLY, being vigilant about triggers can really help you use your anxiety in a positive way, because it’s all about listening to your alert system. For instance, Tim’s anxiety worsens during the first week in December – that’s when his father passed away, and it’s the same week his annual reports are due. Rather than dreading the season, he now spends time listening to his dad’s favourite music. He also doubles down on exercise and sends voice memos to his assistant about his early annual-report concerns. I saw Tim several weeks ago for a check-in; he shook his head in disbelief about his anxious state when we’d first met. He continues his high-stress job, but he has tapered off the Lexapro and works an impressive self-care plan, including daily breathing and relaxation, exercising with friends, eating a healthy diet, and drinking alcohol much more sparingly. His anxiety still exists (“I’m a worrier!”), but he sees it as a way to sense the sticky conflicts that are central to his work before others do. He’s aware of his tendency to catastrophise. Of course, with more focus on his family, he worries, like all fathers, about his kids and his wife... and that strikes me as just about right. Severe anxiety brought Tim to my office for all the right reasons. He dialled into it, and now knows how to use it to maintain the life of connection that he truly desired. MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 45

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This duo’s success isn’t last season. RunwaySale has been stealing the show for seven years now.

Clothes MakeThe Man WHEN KARL HAMMERSCHMIDT AND HIS WIFE, EL STARTED RUNWAYSALE, AN ONLINE BUSINESS SELLING LUXURY GOODS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES, THEY NEVER THOUGHT THEY WOULD CROSS THEIR FIRST MILLION RAND IN YEAR ONE. AND EVENTUALLY EMPLOYING 150 PEOPLE? WELL, THAT WAS JUST A PIPE DREAM. BUT OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, THEY’VE GONE FROM START-UP TO SUCCESS STORY. CHECK OUT THEIR RULES FOR MILLIONS OF SUCCESSFUL CHECKOUTS. / BY KELLEIGH KOREVAAR

48 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

Karl Hammerschmidt and his future-wife, El, stood in the lounge of their Sea Point apartment scanning the place. It no longer looked like a lounge. Over the last six months, their spare-room-turned-office had been spilling out into their living room. The pair cringed as they heard a delivery vehicle outside, knowing it wouldn’t be long before their landlord complained again. The business they had started had grown faster than anticipated and they needed to find an office space – fast. That was in 2012. A few months into their new online business venture, they couldn’t have predicted that seven years later they would have a team of 150 people and that their business, RunwaySale, would be one of the biggest online fashion e-tailers in the country. “Essentially, the business was born from a love of affordable designer brands and we were fortunate to be able to combine our international experience to give South African fashionistas access to premium brands at exclusive prices. We’re an online fashion e-tailer that focuses on the value segment of the market,” explains Karl. Around 60% of their shoppers are repeat customers, with early adopters having shopped at the digital storefront 300 times in five years. And as eCommerce continues to grow in SA, so do their accomplishments. Now they’re here to show you how to wrangle and tame the beast that is online shopping.

You Don’t Have to Re-Invent The Wheel

While studying towards a BComm in finance, Karl worked at an online marketing company, first as in intern and then every Friday he had free. After graduating, he joined the company full-time, was awarded employee of the month and, by year two, was offered the opportunity to relocate to Australia to establish a new office. It was proof that sometimes the old-

fashioned route of working your way up really does pay off. But in the current jobs climate, it’s something workers often forget, as job-hopping (spending less than two years in a position) is on the rise. According to a 2018 survey by staffing firm Robert Half, 64% of workers favour job-hopping – up 22% from findings of a survey done four years prior. And it’s that job loyalty that actually led Karl to his “Aha!” moment. During his time in Aus, he consulted on the digital strategy for the biggest private shopping club in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia. Karl had always wanted to start a business, and from his desk Down Under he could see a massive gap in the South African market where consumers were yet to embrace eCommerce. So, when he came back to SA after working at a similar company in Australia, he brought the concept back with him. The lesson was clear: the idea doesn’t have to be new, but it does have to be smart. Despite believing in the concept, he knew it would have to be adapted for the South African market.

And according to analysts, we’ve got safety concerns to thank for that. Most consumers feel they are more likely to get scammed online. Plus, issues like crime and striking postal service workers may not feature in the business plans of e-tailers in other countries, but they’re a major factor here. Of course, RunwaySale’s unique selling point is that they sell designer brands at affordable prices. After all, everyone loves a bargain and Saffers are no different. But for Karl their biggest advantage is that they are nimble and able to adapt quickly to consumer and brand needs. Why? Because they’re privately owned which gives them the flexibility to take advantage of opportunities. While, as a business owner you might not be able to control striking postal workers, you can choose to use a courier service you trust and have developed a good relationship with. It’s about not only adapting the idea for the

Adapt or Die

This was a lesson Karl learnt early on – just because it’s worked for someone else, doesn’t mean it will automatically work for you. “A similar concept and business model was successful in Australia, and we felt it could be adapted for the local market. However, the challenge was the implementation, especially in a marketplace where consumers were not used to ‘catalogue’ shopping and very sceptical about shopping online – especially for clothing – and the security of internet payments,” says Karl. At the moment, online sales only contribute 1.2% towards the total goods sales in South Africa. This pales in comparison to the R1 trillion in sales made through more traditional channels like shopping malls.

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 49

MIND

“You’re not interacting with your customer face to face, which means you have to ensure that the entire experience is seamless.” local market, but also for the challenges that are unique to South Africa, too. And that ability to adapt to customer needs leads to higher customer satisfaction (RunwaySale has a customer satisfaction rating of 97%). Customer satisfaction is critical for any online business, says Karl. “You’re not interacting with your customer face to face, which means you have to ensure that the entire experience is seamless, hassle-free, enjoyable and as personal as possible.” A key factor that can make or break that experience: your website.

Know What You Can Do Yourself

In the beginning stages, a lot of entrepreneurs

6 STEPS TO SUCCESS 1. Hustle! “We always talk in solutions. Every single problem has a solution.”

2. Focus. “We never have more than three global strategy items that guide the company. Each business unit also has no more than three musthave goals for the year. We are very aware of the 80/20 rule.” (The 80/20 rule or The Pareto Principle is the concept that two out of 10 items on a to-do list are worth more than the other eight put together.)

50 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

do most of the work themselves. Sometimes, it comes down to preference, but most of the time it’s out of necessity. After all, most people aren’t receiving a “small loan of a million dollars” from their fathers like a certain US president did. But knowing what you can and can’t do yourself is extremely important. “An investor and mentor provided the initial funding of R50 000 which we used to build the website; it was the one thing that couldn’t be done free of charge – we initially worked for nothing,” says Karl. From the time consumers click through to a website to when they check out and buy a product, it needs to be a seamless and enjoyable experience, with easy,

3. Relationships. “Our entire ethos is built around mutual respect. With our investors, our team and our business partners and suppliers.”

4. Accountability. “Do not micromanage employees – leave room for mistakes but ensure they learn from them.”

5. There are two doors in decision-making. “Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon always talks about two doors.” One-way doors are almost impossible to reverse (i.e. quitting your job or selling your company). “One door you walk through and it closes behind you but the other door can be opened again.” That’s a twoway door which is easy to reverse (i.e. offering a new

service or introducing new pricing schemes). Figure out which type of decision you’re facing and act accordingly. “When it comes to ideas where you can try it quickly and fail quickly, but without having long-term impact – we always encourage our team to go for it,” says Karl.

6. Have a sense of humour. “…and maintain a good work/life balance. We try our best to celebrate victories. Everyone wants to know they are doing a good job.” And the science supports this. A study from Harvard Business School found that employees who are praised are more productive and less stressed.

intuitive navigation. With online businesses, often the startup costs aren’t as high, which means you should invest your money in good infrastructure. That fear of being scammed we mentioned earlier? Scrimping on spending a few randelas at the beginning of the web design process isn’t going to be worth it if you get hacked or your website constantly has bugs that need fixing. And deciding what to outsource or do yourself isn’t just relevant when you’re starting out – as you grow it’s just as vital. “The most difficult thing about growing is trying to understand what needs to be passed on to someone else who is better placed to focus on that area specifically. There are areas of the business that we’re extremely passionate about but just don’t have time to focus on, and a lesson is to know when to let things go and/or [when to] delegate,” advises Karl.

Don’t Wait for That Perfect Moment

So manypeople putoffdoing what they want or sendingtheir ideaout into theworld because they’re waiting forthat oneshining, perfect moment. Don’twaitfor the rightmoment, just make the momentright andrunwith it. “Being an online business, it was ‘just get the damn thing live’. Do not wait for perfection! Most things can go live 80% ready, then review the results and feedback and change quickly. We took our website live and no one bought from it the first week. Things we didn’t even think about were affecting the user experience. So taking it live just got us to those answers sooner,” says Karl. But ultimately, when it comes to eCommerce you need to be realistic about the size of the industry. “Online is still in its infancy, however it’s on the increase and presents huge opportunities. We’re fortunate to have been part of this growth over the past seven years but, in our particular market segment – fashion – we have a long way to go to reach the UK figures of 28%, where one in every four dresses is bought online.” It may be a long way off, but they’re moving fast – and it’s all thanks to Karl’s single-most important secret for success: “Good old South African ‘gees’ and guts.”

FEEL SMOOTH, LOOK SHARP! Add the Lion For Men Duel range to the mix and step up your game. LionForMenSA

MIND

WEALTH REPORT

STRESS GAMEPLAN

Videogames get a bad rap – mostly because they stand in the way of you making healthy decisions. (We’ve all skipped

a gym session – or three – in the name of just one more level.) But, as it turns out, that relentless button mashing may be helping you tap into some unexpected benefits. In a study published in JMIR Mental Health, researchers looked into the effects of playing videogames versus other more “mindful” activities.

Participants were asked to complete an anxiety-inducing test before being divided into three groups. One group played a videogame, the second flicked fidget spinners and the third meditated with the help of an app. The result: while the people in the non-gaming groups felt more exhausted, those who gamed reported feeling energised. The study’s authors say this highlights the potential stressbusting benefits of playing games for a few minutes (yes, just a few). So, as long as it doesn’t mean skipping your next sweat sesh, gaming is back on the menu.

STOP THINKING FOR YOURSELF

When it comes to making big decisions, it’s easy to feel like a deer in the headlights. Turns out, we might suck at thinking for ourselves. In a study published by Harvard Business Review, researchers discovered that we’re bolder, more adventurous and more creative in our thinking when we’re making decisions for someone else. As part of eight separate studies, the researchers tasked participants with making decisions for themselves or for someone else based on the same information. When considering options for themselves, people tended to be more cautious, getting stuck sifting through the finer details. However, when it came to others, the perspective shifted from “Is this viable?” to “How many options do we have?”. The kicker: when sharing recommendations with others, participants were far more enthusiastic. Feeling indecisive? Don’t be the deer in the headlights; 52 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

be the fly on the wall. “In this mindset, we can act as our own advisors – indeed, it may even be effective to refer to yourself in the third-person when considering an important decision,” say the authors. They recommend that instead of asking yourself, “What should I do?”, say: “What should you do?” instead.

OCTOBER Stop thinking for yourself, accomplish more with less and game away your stress with this in-depth research and MH-certified advice.

LESS IS MORE

PARKS AND RELAXATION 3

Feeling strungout? It’s time to hit the park. In a recent twitter study (yep, that’s a real thing), researchers discovered that a few minutes in a local city park can lift your mood as much as tucking into a feast at Christmas. Using the hedonometer – software that measures the overall mood of a twitter post based

on the individual scores of the words used – the study’s authors analysed thousands of tweets from national parks in San Francisco and then measured those against almost 50 million already collected by the advanced software. The result: those spending time in parks were just as happy as those making merry on Christmas Day.

MAKE THE DAMN BED ALREADY

From your parentss to celebrated army generals, everyone is telling you to make your bed. And if the moodboosting, stressbusting benefits of this simple task haven’t sold you on straightening the sheets and fluffing the pillows, a better night’s rest should do the trick. According to a report published by the National Sleep Foundation, survey respondents who said they made the bed every morning

were more likely to sleep better. Despite this, 7% of all respondents admitted they rarely or never made the bed. While it’s not clear why those with tidy beds snag more shuteye than those who don’t, one reason could be that the bedroom is more enticing when it’s clean and straightened up.

If you’re working 80 hours a week to try impress your boss, you may be wasting your time. In a study conducted by Erin Reid, a professor at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, it emerged that managers couldn’t spot the difference between employees who put in 80 hours per week and those who just pretended to clock in the time. Additionally, Reid was unable to find evidence that employees who did less accomplished less than their hyper-driven colleagues. This backs previous studies’ findings that not only are overworked employees less efficient with their time, they also don’t benefit from the productivityboosting benefits of having predictable time off – such as weekends and public holidays. Your play: maximise your hours instead of falling back on your free time.

WORDS: KIERAN LEGG, IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES (THINKING, CONTROLLER)

THE

RESIDENCY

TALKING FITNESS... Alwyn Uys, Geo Botha, Joshua Carpazorio, Stefan Terblanche and Fez Mkhize Men’s Health came to life on 31 August at The Wanderers Club, Johannesburg.

It was a day filled with great food, inspiring interviews and countless networking opportunities. When they first arrived, guests were treated to canapés from Whirlpool and coffee brewed by Vida e Caffè while they soaked in the spectacle of three brand new Lexus cars. Visitors could also duck into The Sneaker Shack for a quick sneaker clean.

Frank Bespoke was on hand to offer advice on bespoke tailoring, taking measurements for guys looking to upgrade to tailormade threads. Throughout The Wanderers Club venue, there were plenty of activities to keep guests busy: fragrance sampling and foosball with Diesel; munching on snacks at the Montagu Biltong Bar; cracking open a brew or two from Becks; and listening to thoughtprovoking panel discussions. Presenter, Dr Fez Mkhize spoke to para-athlete Alwyn Uys, wealth manager Geo Botha, former Springbok Stefan Terblanche and strength and conditioning coach Joshua Carpazorio about the importance of setting goals in fitness. Journalist Yamkela Mdaka discussed the latest in technology and innovation with motoring journalist Steve Smith and tech journalist Brendon Petersen. MH Fashion Editor Azeez Jacobs chatted to Grant van den Berg, managing director

of Frank Bespoke, Lolo Ndlovu founder of The Sneaker Shack and actor Mxolisi Masango about developing your own personal style and why bespoke suits are an essential part of every guy’s wardrobe. After the panel discussions, guests kicked back to watch Premier League soccer. It was a chance to network with others, chat with panellists and cheer on their favourite teams. As the sun set, visitors toasted the afternoon with a series of Inverroche gin tastings. The end result: guests left feeling inspired, motivated and informed.

MH EVENT

TALKING INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY... Steve Smith, Brendon Petersen and Yamkela Mdaka

TALKING FASHION... Lolo Ndhlovu, Mxolisi Masango, Grant van den Berg and MH Fashion Editor Azeez Jacobs

LIFE k

Attack the Flank Drink Mindfully The New Rules of Casual Sex Make a Move

BETTER MAN

Going The Distance JUSTIN COOMBER’S LIFE CHANGED WHEN HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A RARE CONDITION THAT IMPACTED HIS ABILITY TO MOVE. HE WENT FROM STRUGGLING TO WALK TO CYCLING FOR A CAUSE HE BELIEVED IN. HERE’S HOW HE’S MAKING A DIFFERENCE. / BY MEGAN FLEMMIT

THE MAN JUSTIN COOMBER OCCUPATION

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE PHOTOGRAPHER SHELDON MOULTRIE

LOCATION

SOUTH AFRICA

MEGAN FLEMMIT

“As humans, we are capable of a lot more than we think we are,” says outdoor adventure photographer Justin Coomber. “Whenever we’re tired or think we can’t keep going, we’ve only reached half of what we can do. If we push ourselves mentally and physically, we would be able to do so much more than what we think we can.” It’s a lesson Justin learnt as he cycled from Musina to Cape Town to raise funds for children with disabilities. When he was eight years old, the photographer was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis – a rare condition that affects the central nervous system and causes inflammation around the spinal cord. Justin went from being a

care-free child to having to learn how to walk again. Over the years he slowly found his feet. Knowing firsthand how difficult it is to move around the world when you’re differently abled, the photographer wanted to help improve the lives of others with disabilities. He partnered with the non-profit organisation Warriors on Wheels (WOW) to raise funds for equipment to help children with certain disabilities get some of their function back. The organisation hopes to uplift and empower children with disabilities by taking them on special adventures tailored to their unique needs. “I’ve always wanted to give back in some way, and I remember sitting on the bench one day and coming up with this idea to raise funds by cycling across the country,” says Justin. He admired the work WOW was doing and decided to partner with them. “I wanted to partner with a cause that I could relate to,” he explains. GROWING PAINS When Justin first felt sick and lightheaded, he didn’t think it was anything serious. The next day, however, when he tried to get out of bed, he fell to the floor. Justin was in extreme pain and had difficulty moving the lower half of his body. He was immediately rushed to the hospital. “They gave me blood platelets to help flood the virus they thought I had, but it was originally a misdiagnosis. Only when I was about 12 or 13 did they correctly diagnose me with Transverse Myelitis,” he says. Justin’s entire world changed. The condition stripped him of his ability to walk properly. And, because his body could no longer keep up with all the demands school required, he was homeschooled. Along with being taught maths and science, Justin also pushed himself to learn how to walk and run again. His condition made it difficult, but he was determined not to let it ruin his life. “In the beginning it did affect me emotionally. When I went back to school I struggled to socialise with other kids and make friends,” he recalls. Justin discovered how cruel kids could be. “I got bullied because my walk was a little bit different. The arch of my foot had collapsed, and I had severe nerve damage to my foot. It affected the way I walked. The kids didn’t know why my walk was a little funny and I would get picked on because of that.” Thankfully his parents provided him with the support he needed. Justin also found comfort in books. He often read for long periods of time, losing himself in the adventures of the characters he read about. He drew strength from how the characters in these stories overcame their circumstances. “It was really inspiring to read how they managed to do things with their lives and didn’t let anything get them down.” Those stories of success encouraged Justin to push his boundaries. “There were just so many things I wanted to do, and I became frustrated when I couldn’t do them. But the more frustrated

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 57

LIFE remember thinking that if I can do this, then obviously I can do what most people can do,” Justin explains. Like most activities Justin took on, the work proved to be difficult in the beginning. But having conquered everything else, he knew that if he pushed through the tough times, his body would eventually figure out a way to do it.

Justin constantly pushes himself to new heights.

I became, the more determined I was to do it.” Justin refused to let his condition stop him from living his life. From learning how to walk again to slowly beginning to run, he kept pushing himself until he found a way to do it. “I was always a big fan of cricket, and I struggled to play in the beginning. While I was being homeschooled my dad, and a friend of mine, would practise with me. Eventually I just got better and better. The same happened with swimming – I was terrible in the beginning, but I just kept at it.” Slowly Justin built up resilience. Challenges no longer fazed him. He realised that even though he would struggle with things in the beginning, eventually he would improve. Armed with this knowledge, he started working for an outdoor adventure company – a feat he hadn’t thought was possible when he was first diagnosed. “I

MAN ON A MISSION Kicking off his solo journey was a strange and surreal experience for Justin. After a year and a half of planning it was finally time to ride for the cause he wholeheartedly believed in. In some ways it was as if he was simply going for a quick ride to the shop. There were no crowds, no cheers, no words of encouragement to see him off – it was just him, his bike and a backpack filled with all the necessary supplies. After briefly explaining to the owner of the B&B he was staying in what his plans were, he hopped on to his bike and embarked on his mission. “It was a huge relief to just be on my bicycle and start. All the stress and tension that had built up while I planned the trip just released,” he says. As a result of the nerve damage caused by his condition, Justin’s leg is slightly out of alignment. Peddling for hours each day put an enormous amount of strain on his knee and the tendons became inflamed.On day 7, the excruciating pain forced him to pause his journey. Justin spent the next two days resting in Dullstroom. “I could barely walk. When I tried to bend my knee, I could hear the tendons cracking.” The knee injury plagued him throughout the rest of his journey. But although it slowed him down, he refused to abandon his cause. He cycled through his discomfort and within a few weeks the

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JUSTIN COOMBER

58 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

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GET YOUR LIFE BACK

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LIFE pain subsided. Throughout his journey, Justin relied on the kindness of strangers. As he made his way through towns, WOW tried to organise a place for him to stay for the night – whether it was a camping ground, a church or with someone they knew in the town. Sometimes

people he met on the road would offer him a place to stay. “I spent a lot of nights sleeping on farms and in houses that belonged to people I just met. When I couldn’t find a place to sleep, I would set up my tent and sleep in it for the night. The next morning, I would wake up and keep going.”

D AY 1 9 - R E ST D AY F O R K N E E I N J U R Y D AY 2 0 - R E ST D AY F O R K N E E I N J U R Y D AY 2 1 - 6 6 K M TO P E T R U S B U R G D AY 2 2 - 1 0 4 K M TO LU C KO F DAY 23 - 63KM TO FARM BEFORE PHILIPSTOWN D AY 24 - 7 9 K M TO D E A A R D AY 2 5 - 5 5 K M TO B R I T STO W N D AY 2 6 - 6 2 K M TO V O S B U R G D AY 2 7 - 8 9 K M TO C A R N AV O N D AY 2 8 - 1 3 0 K M TO W I L L I S TO N D AY 2 9 - 4 6 K M TO A FA R M I N T H E M I D D L E O F NOWHERE D AY 3 0 - 7 8 K M TO C A LV I N I A D AY 3 1 - 7 7 K M TO N I E U W O U DT V I L L E D AY 3 2 - 8 0 K M TO V R E D E N DA L D AY 3 3 - 57 K M TO D O R I N G B A A I D AY 3 4 - 6 4 K M E L A N D S B AY D AY 3 5 - 6 5 K M V E L D D R I F D AY 3 6 - 7 9 K M Y Z E R F O N T E I N D AY 3 7 - 6 1 K M TO M E L K B O ST R A N D D AY 3 8 - 2 6 K M TO C A P E TO W N , S E A P O I N T

JUSTIN’S ITINERARY IT TOOK JUSTIN 38 DAYS TO REACH THE END OF HIS JOURNEY. HERE’S WHERE HE WENT, AND EVERY KM HE RACKED UP GETTING THERE: D AY 1 - 7 0 K M - M U S I N A TO A B R I D G E N E A R LO U I S T R I C H A R DT D AY 2 - 6 6 K M TO B A N D E L I E R S KO P D AY 3 - 9 0 K M TO T Z A N E E N D AY 4 - 9 8 K M TO B LY D E R I V E R C A N YO N D AY 5 - 40KM TO DIFFERENT AREA OF CANYON D AY 6 - 9 9 K M TO LY N D E N B U R G D AY 7 - 5 2 K M TO D U L L S T R O O M D AY 8 - R E ST D AY F O R K N E E I N J U R Y D AY 9 - R E ST D AY F O R K N E E I N J U R Y D AY 1 0 - 1 0 1 K M TO M I D D E L B U R G D AY 1 1 - 7 8 K M TO B E T H E L D AY 1 2 - 6 5 K M TO STA N D E R TO N D AY 1 3 - 5 5 K M TO V R E D E D AY 1 4 - 6 6 K M TO WA R D E N D AY 1 5 - 5 3 K M TO B E T H L E H E M D AY 1 6 - 5 2 K M TO S E N E K A L D AY 1 7 - 6 9 K M TO W I N B U R G D AY 1 8 - 5 1 K M TO B LO E M F O N T E I N

Musina

Dullstroom

Vrede Bethlehem Bloemfontein

De Aar Vredendal

Williston

The journey was both tough and captivating. Although Justin drank in the beautiful scenery and acquired a newfound appreciation of the nature around him, there were times when the loneliness of the journey became overwhelming. “During those times I would call a friend or my family and ask them to pray for me. There were times when I struggled… and it was just good knowing that there was someone I could call whenever I was having a rough moment.” Almost 2 500 kilometers and 37 days later, Justin made his way to Cape Town. Members of WOW joined him at Eden on the Bay. From there they cycled together to Seapoint. “It was a weird experience. I went from cycling by myself for 37 days in the middle of nowhere, talking to cows and sheep, and just making sure I had enough food and a place to stay. Then, suddenly, I was surrounded by all these people from WOW and it was such a beautiful moment.” Justin’s month of living in survival mode had come to an end. His solo journey raised R21 000 for WOW. Beyond this awareness he was able to generate, the trip also strengthened his resolve to push past his boundaries. “Over the years I’d learnt how resilient we can be as humans, but this trip just reinforced that idea. I’d never had an experience like this before, where I had no choice but to keep going. It was amazing seeing the power of the mind and what you can accomplish when you put your mind to something.” It won’t be his last adventure either – Justin plans on taking on more expeditions in the future. “I don’t necessarily want to cycle, but I want to do more adventurous trips around different countries,” he says. Justin knows there’s no limit to what he can achieve. He just has to start.

Yzerfontein Sea Point

12,501m. 13,039m

2,157m_ 2m

GET INVOLVED > GET INVOLVED Want to donate to Warriors on Wheels? Scan the QR code to help children in need.

Find out more about Justin: check out his Instagram @justincoomber or email him coomberjustin@gmail.com

60 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

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

62 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

LIFE

Attack theFlank! 30 10

WHAT’S 30/1O? Those are the minimum grams of

protein and fibre you need at each meal to help you build muscle and fill up.This month: braaied flank steak with all the trimmings. BY PAUL KITA

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

Most prepackaged grocery store flank steaks weigh between 650g and 1,1 kilograms and come trimmed of most of their fat, gristle and silver skin. Look for a cut that’s nicely marbled, with intramuscular streaks of white. That fat will help flavour the meat as it cooks.

C OOK IT

Seared Flank Steak with Green Lightning Sauce

1. KALE, C AND CHICKPE In a bowl, combine 2 (400g) cans chickpeas – rinsed and drained, 1 medium minced shallot, 1½ cups halved mixed-colour cherry tomatoes, 1½ cups baby kale, 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp whitewine vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. Allow to sit 30 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings PER SERVING: 1 075 kJ, 11g protein, 43g carbs (11g fibre), 5g fat

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

FOOD STYLING BY SIMON ANDREWS; PROP STYLING BY PAIGE HICKS

W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D 1 1

9 0 0 G F L A N K ST E A K C U P F R E S H PA R S L E Y, F I N E LY CHOPPED 1 C U P F R E S H C O R I A N D E R, F I N E LY C H O P P E D ¼ C U P F R E S H C H I V E S, F I N E LY CHOPPED 2 T B S P F R E S H O R EGA N O, F I N E LY C H O P P E D 3 GA R L I C C LOV E S, F I N E LY CHOPPED JUICE AND ZEST FROM 1 LIME BIG PINCH CRUSHED RED-PEPPER FLAKES ¼ C U P O L I V E O I L , P LU S M O R E FO R B R U S H I N G

1. Remove the flank steak from the fridge and let it come to room temperature as you get your braai to a high heat. In a medium bowl, combine the parsley, coriander, chives, oregano, garlic, lime juice and zest, redpepper flakes and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.

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

2. Brush the steak with olive oil and season with

32g protein, 2g carbs (0g fibre), 22g fat

PER SERVING: 1 426 kJ,

2 . RASPBERR , WHEAT KERNEL SA Cook 1 cup of wheat kernels according to package instructions. Drain and allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer to a bowl and mix with 1 cup raspberries, 1 cup blueberries, ¼ cup mint (finely chopped), 2 Tbsp roasted sunflower kernels, 1 Tbsp good balsamic vinegar and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Makes 4 servings PER SERVING: 1 113 kJ, 9g protein, 44g carbs (10g fibre), 8g fat

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 63

The latest in alcohol news is, well, no alcohol. It’s called ‘Mindful Drinking’ – an emerging global trend of choosing low- and non-alcoholic drinks for health and social reasons. And it’s gaining serious momentum.

Make Mine a Zero

GENERATION SOBER Gone are the days when only pregnant women and reluctant designated drivers sipped on sugar-loaded mocktails or sparkling water. And most surprisingly, it’s young people who are leading the mindful drinking movement. Millennials have been blamed for killing almost every industry, from

WHETHER YOU’VE COMMITTED TO #OCSOBER OR YOU JUST DON’T LIKE DRINKING, THERE’S NO NEED TO FEEL LIKE YOU SHOULD BE SITTING AT THE KIDS’ TABLE. NONALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES HAVE GROWN UP AND THERE ARE SO MANY MORE OPTIONS THAN FRUIT JUICE AND FIZZY DRINKS. / BY KELLEIGH KOREVAAR

SPICE & TONIC

I N A H I G H BA L L G L ASS, M I X: 50ML SEEDLIP SPICE 94 1 2 5 M L I N D I A N TO N I C. GA R N I S H W I T H A R E D G R A P E F R U I T T W I ST.

WHY DRINK N/A BEER? 64 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

It’s loaded with polyphenols. These compounds, found primarily in plants, may help ward off disease and protect you from free-radical damage.

It’s a great post-cardio drink. A 2012 German study found marathon runners who drank N/A beer during training had less overall inflammation.

It’s a nightcap. If you replace your boozy nightcap with non-alcoholic beer, you can wind down without wrecking your rest.

LIFE

CREDIT: *ADDITIONAL WORDS BY JOY MANNING

housing to dairy – and studies have shown that, worldwide, they’re drinking less, too. In fact, it’s estimated that in Germany one in four beers ordered in bars is low- or non-alcoholic. And although South Africa hasn’t been as quick to embrace alcohol-free beer, non-alcoholic wines, craft ‘vir-gins’ and mocktails, we should be. In 2016, the average drinker in South Africa consumed 30 litres of pure alcohol and a 2018 report by the World Health Organisation placed SA sixth globally as a nation of drinkers. CLEANING UP OUR ACT From one in 10 deaths being attributed to alcohol abuse to our the high number of fatalities caused by drunk driving, it’s not news that South Africa has a drinking problem. Plus, when you consider men are bigger drinkers by a wide margin, it’s hard not to get bogged down by the boozy numbers. The good news? We’re getting there. Not only is this month #Ocsober, a movement to ditch the booze for a month, but Capetonians Sean O’Connor and Barry Tyson have started an organisation called Mindful Drinking SA. And that’s led to a Mindful Drinking Festival that will take place at the Kirstenbosch Stone Cottages later this month (check out MindfulDrinking.co.za for tickets). You’ll experience blind tastings, healthy food and great SA bands. Best part? You’ll be hangover-free bright and early on Monday morning. It’s never been easier to go alcohol-free or be a mindful drinker. In the past 18 months, we’ve seen the launch of Castle Free, Heineken 0.0 and Savanna Lemon. And as summer looms, ditching booze couldn’t be more beneficial for building your best body. After all, abs are made in the kitchen – and now, also the bar.

SHAKE UP YOUR ORDER What these cocktails lack in alcohol, they make up in flavour. Serve them at your next booze-free bash.

C R A F T BR E WE R S, GIN DISTI L L E RS A ND EV E RYO N E IN B ETWE EN AR E R E L E A SING NO N -A L CO HO L IC DR IN KS WIT H AC TUAL F L AVOUR. BUT I T ’S O N E TH IN G F O R T HE M NO T TO TA ST E TE RR IBL E . IT ’S A NO TH E R F O R TH E M T O TA ST E G O O D. A N D TH E SE AC TUAL LY D O.

CASTLE FREE They take the same local ingredients as Castle Lager and after boiling, brewing, cooling and then fermenting it, they remove the alcohol through a combination of natural processes. After that, it’s packaged and ready for you to crack open a cold one. 96kJ per 100ml HEINEKEN 0.0 They realised that just removing the alcohol from the regular 5% Heineken wouldn’t make the best nonalcoholic beer. So Heineken 0.0 is brewed from scratch and has refreshing fruity notes with a soft malty body. 87kJ per 100ml

GARDEN BOOCH

50ML SEEDLIP GA R D E N 1 08 PASS I O N F R U I T KO M BU C H A

Build over ice by first pouring Seedlip garden into a glass. Top with passion fruit kombucha and garnish with mint.

LEOPARD’S LEAP NATURA CLASSIC RED Made from Cinsaut and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that have been sourced from cool climes; on the palate you’ll get red berries, sweet spice and no alcohol. And did we mention it’s vegan? 29kJ per 100ml BECKS NON-ALCOHOLIC Brewed with European hops, this alcohol-free beer tastes just like your favourite lager (but has fewer kilojoules per sip). Crisp and refreshing, it’s better than whatever slop is on tap. Cheers. 60kJ per 100ml.

SEEDLIP Boasting zero kilojoules, sugar-free, sweetener-free and artificial flavourant-free, the world’s first distilled nonalcoholic spirit comes in two flavours: Garden 108 and Spice 94. 0kJ per 100ml

GARDEN SOUR

50ML SEEDLIP GA R D E N 1 08 3 5 M L C LO U DY A P P L E JUICE 15ML LEMON JUICE 5 M L C I D E R V I N EGA R S P R I G O F R OS E M A RY & THYME DASH OF SUGAR AND EGG

Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour into a glass and garnish with rosemary needles.

THE DUCHESS BOTANICAL South African brand The Duchess was the world’s first non-alcoholic, sugar-free gin and tonic. The Duchess Botanical delivers notes of cloves, cardamom and star anise and is best served ice cold with a citrus rind. 29kJ per 100ml

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 65

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LIFE

YOU GUYS

TheHookup Divide

THE RULES OF CASUAL SEX CHANGED ALMOST OVERNIGHT, BUT LAUREN LARSON SAYS YOU CAN STILL HAVE A GREAT TIME – YOU JUST HAVE TO COMMIT TO IT.

One morning in the university cafeteria, a friend slapped down her breakfast and looked around at the rest of us – all girls. “Do you guys have orgasms?” she asked. One by one, we blushingly recounted the rapturous pleasure we’d experienced at the tender, skillful hands of inexplicably dexterous drunk guys we’d met at parties. Then we all started making out, cornflakes milk dripping into our heaving bosoms. What really happened is that for a very long moment, nobody said a word. “I had

them with my high school boyfriend, but not really since,” one friend said. “Yeah, not really,” another girl echoed. I’d recently hooked up with a guy in a residence who wore rugby shorts and flip-flops to parties “for easy access”. No orgasm. We were all having a lot of sex, but most of it was terrible. I thought of that conversation almost a decade later when the blog Babe published that long, detailed account of one woman’s date with comedian Aziz Ansari. After the date, when Ansari texted the woman to say

that he’d had fun, she texted back to say the encounter had made her uneasy. “You had to have noticed I was uncomfortable,” she wrote. I’d had variations of the same thought during and after many disappointing Tinder dates. My entire sexual career suddenly played out before my eyes – a movie montage of discomfort and miscommunication set to “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” by The Police. That the woman’s experience with Ansari felt universal to me was less an absolution of Ansari than it was a sign that the ways men and women think about hookups are fundamentally at odds. With all the stories that have poured out in the #MeToo era, in the news and over drinks between friends, it’s become impossible to ignore the reality that more often than not – whether or not alcohol was involved – men usually emerge from hookups feeling satisfied while women often emerge feeling scammed. It’s a generalisation to say that men enjoy casual sex more than women do. Just as there are women out there who have orgasms without foreplay – witches, all! – there are probably women who genuinely enjoy one-night stands. Still, I think the generalisation is a fair one. While for men hooking up is a positive outcome (“We boned!”), women often talk about it as a means to an end (“I thought that if we hooked up long enough, he’d want to date me”) or as a regret (“I got drunk and hooked up with a man in a Santa costume”). Even the language reflects the skewed dynamic: young men have always been told to go out and hook up with as many women as possible – to “sow their wild oats”. In that MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 67

LIFE

Don’twaituntil she’semotionally investedinyou totellherthat you’rejustinitfor ahookup.

analogy, women are the dirt. That said, it’s still possible to have no-strings-attached sex without disappointing anyone. You just have to follow the rules. Don’t lead her on. One problem with hookups is that they often look a lot like dates. Two people match on a dating app, then meet at a bar. If they both resemble their pictures and nobody says anything racist, they might go home together. Sometimes they go on a few more dates, or date-type adventures. He tells her that his strong working mother taught him to respect women and that he loves summers in Camps Bay. “Maybe we’ll go sometime,” he says coyly. The woman knows she should assume that they’re just hooking up, at least until they verbally establish that they’re trending toward a relationship. But she’s already imagining herself in a sarong and a straw hat, strolling around Camps Bay. (He’s wearing a seersucker suit, doing Leonardo DiCaprio’s moneyed accent from The Great Gatsby.) When he tells her, one date later, that he’s “not really looking to date anyone right now,” she has no choice but to curse him and all his descendants. If you know you don’t want to date a woman – and let’s be honest, you typically know by the end of your first conversation – don’t wait until she’s emotionally

68 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

”

invested in you to tell her that you’re just in it for a hookup. (I usually start to feel emotionally invested four dates in. Or two dates in, if a guy has really sexy arms or a nose that is still a little bustedlooking from a fight he got in while he was defending a woman’s honour.) As a clinical people-pleaser, I understand how tempting it can be to tell someone what she wants to hear, but don’t kind of invite someone to Camps Bay on the third date if you only want to hook up with her. Women get angry when a man says he isn’t looking for something serious not because we feel rejected; we get angry because we feel like we’ve been tricked. Okay, you can lead her on a little bit. There’s a happy medium between lying about what you want and flaying yourself on the altar of decency. If I interrupt a man who is flirting with me at a bar to tell him what I’m thinking, which is how cute it would be if the song that’s playing were the song we danced to at our wedding, the conversation will stop. And if I meet a man at a party and he tells me, right off the bat, “I’m not really looking to date anyone; I just want to hook up,” I will definitely appreciate his honesty, but I will definitely not go home with him. Instead, steal a line a guy said to me once: “I’m not really looking to date anyone right now, but I’m open to the possibility down

In this column Lauren Larson writes about the evolving dynamics between men and women – from hooking up to... everything else.

the line.” I think I actually whispered “Nice” when he said it: I didn’t feel rejected, but I had no expectations. Embrace sober sex. Another problem with hookups is that frequently, in university and beyond, both parties are drunk. Besides larger issues involving consent, drunk sex is so often... bad. (Whiskey dick isn’t fun for anyone.) If you’re hooking up with someone regularly, don’t fall into a pattern of texting that person to hook up at 2am when you’re drunk. Even if you’ve both said you’re chilled with casual sex, it’s still insulting when you hear from someone only when they’re at their sloppiest. Make it good. A few years ago, a guy I was dating said he was too busy with work and just wanted to hook up. I was young and impressionable, so I said, “Cool, me too.” The sex had been great until then, but as soon as we were hooking up instead of dating, the foreplay stopped and the sex itself got worse – it was like when two people are walking toward each other in a hallway and nobody can figure out who should go left and who should go right. The problem was that I wasn’t as emotionally invested in the situation. For most women, sex is as much emotional as it is physical, and if a woman doesn’t feel comfortable with the person sowing his oats in her dirt, there is no chance of an orgasm. My partner was also a problem. Once he wasn’t trying to date me, he became way less considerate in bed. Our friends-with-benefits situation didn’t last long. Hooking up isn’t an excuse to try out all the porny stuff that you’re too shy to attempt with someone you’re dating, and it isn’t an excuse to be self-serving. Women want to sow their wild oats, too. We want to sow them again and again, all night long. Ideally with multiple oatgasms.

KYLE HILTON (LARSON); ILLUSTRATION BY ERIC CHOW

“

YOUR EXPERT

LIFE

THE HALFTIME With your partner on their back, flip their legs over their head as far back as is comfortable. Kneel in front and press your chest against their thighs.

THE HAND-OFF Aka: mutual masturbation. Start kissing while you touch each other’s midfield regions; consider this your warm-up.

WHAT THE CONVERSION Have your partner lie on their back, legs open. Sit on your knees in front, your legs wide in a “V” shape. Hold their ankles apart for a deep feel. Let go of an ankle to play with their clitoris.

70 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

HAND-OFF WHISTLE BLOWER WHISTLE BLOWER LINEOUT ROLLING MAUL LINEOUT LINEOUT

HALFTIME HALFTIME ONVERSION

WELCOME TO THE 2019 RWC (REALLY WILD COITUS) TOURNAMENT OF SEX.

THE SPEAR TACKLE Kneel on the bed facing your partner. Your partner, lying on their back with a pillow under their butt, puts both legs over your right shoulder (right leg crossed over left).

Sample Tournament

THE SPEAR TACKLE

Nopenalties willbegiven fornot releasingthe ball.

THE BALL HANDLER Lie on your back, knees bent, legs apart. Your partner will sit on top of you, both legs bent and feet flat on the bed (like a frog). Have them reach behind and massage your testicles.

THE WHISTLE BLOWER Set a timer for a 20-minute half and take turns performing oral on each other, making sure you both finish before the clock runs out. Eyes on the prize.

BY DANIELLE KAM & KELLEIGH KOREVAAR

THE SIDE STEP Lie on your side facing your partner while they’re on their back. Weave your legs around their near leg and drape their far leg over your hips. The third player? A vibrator.

SPEAR TACKLE BALL HANDLER SPEAR TACKLE SPEAR TACKLE

THE LINE BREAK Start with them on top. Have your partner lean forward so their face is near your neck. Using your hands for support, move your hips up and down as fast as you can. Score.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY T. M. DET WILER

THE ROLLING MAUL From missionary, while still inside your partner, scoop your hands under their back and bring their chest close, and roll over so they’re on top.

THE LINE OUT Sit against a wall, legs outstretched. Cradle your partner in your lap, their arms planted behind them and feet on the ground. With an arm under their thighs, move them up and down.

THE DUMP TACKLE Standing, or perched on the end of a table, get your teammate to loop their arms around your neck and wrap their legs around your waist. Hold them up from under their butt.

(Choose your own winners and losers!) DUMP TACKLE SCRUM SCRUM THE BENCH DROP GOAL THE BENCH THE BENCH THE BENCH

SIDE-STEP SIDE-STEP LINE BREAK SIDE STEP UP-ANDUNDER UP-ANDUNDER OFFSIDE ADVANTAGE

THE UP-AND-UNDER Your partner lies on their stomach, resting on forearms, back arched. You lie on top, hands outside their shoulders and your legs between theirs. Thrust in an upward motion.

Your Rugby World Cup predictions are kind of like an interrupted orgasm: they start out really great and you think you’re almost there, and then, just like that, you’re not. Ag no man. That’s probably due to the fact that the chances of predicting every round is 1 in 2.4 trillion, according to Duke University maths professor Jonathan Mattingly. Instead, we’ve devised a rugby sex strategy that could guarantee you that win. Let everyone else’s rugby fever suffer some major upsets, while you and your teammate get to the try line together. It’s fun, easy and already filled out, and it won’t invite trash talk from your co-workers. It’s time for kick-off. MOST OF THESE POSITIONS WORK GREAT FOR PLAYERS ON THE SAME TEAM, TOO!

THE OFFSIDE ADVANTAGE Lie in a spooning position and gently lay your top leg over their hips, planting your foot on the bed. This gives you balance to go deep into the opposition half (aka deeper penetration).

THE SCRUM Lean back against a wall with your legs away from your body and open. Your partner, back to you, should lean forward, hands on thighs. Grab their waist and move back and forth.

THE DROP GOAL Both standing and facing each other, pin your partner against a wall. With one hand, hold one of their arms over their head. Hold their opposite leg by your side for better access.

THE BENCH Sit on the floor, knees bent, feet planted, hands behind you. Your partner sits on top, facing you. Press your butts up into a bridge, then dip up and down until you both score.

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

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THE 2019

FITNESS AWARDS By KELLEIGH KOREVAAR

SHOP FOR THE

BEST GEAR FOR YOUR WORKOUT, TRIED AND TESTED BY

THE MH TEAM.

KETTLEBELLS Iron Man (top) 18kg (R1 760, onnit.com) and Black Panther (left) 12kg (R1 394, kettlebellkings.com).

Scan the QR codes to grab this gear.

MH.CO.ZA/ Octo er 2019 73

AXIMISE EVERY TRAINING KILOMETRE ITH THIS RUNNING GEAR FOR THE TAR, HE TRAILS AND THE TREADMILL.

MOVE!

ALL-ROUNDER

PUMA Hybrid Astro

A great all-in-one option if you’re looking for something to wear in the gym, with jeans or on the run – up to a half marathon distance. They’re suitable for broader feet and stable enough for functional training. R2 299, totalsports.co.za

MH PICK Salomon Sonic Ra Pro 2 “ e snug without being cramped. The outsole is reinforced at the sides without being bulky (and the heel drop isn’t massive). Ideal for road runners.” R2 299, salomonsports.co.za – wanita nicol, Deputy Editor

COMFORT LAYER

ASICS Silver SS Top

HOTTEST LAYER

This short-sleeved running top is made from a soft knit and has flat seams that reduce chafing. The sleeve’s design gives you plenty of room for free movement. Bonus: the fabric is quick-drying, making it ideal for those super sweaty sessions. R360, asics.com/za

New Balance Core Space Dye ¼ Zip

This isn’t just a cover-up to wear pre- and post-workout. The lightweight performance fabric and fitted cut make it the perfect layer to toss over your vest without restricting movement. Plus, the zip goes down low so you can adjust ventilation on the fly. R799, sportsmansware ouse. .

ALL-WEATHER SHOES

RUNNING SHORTS

These 3D printed shoes (you read that right) are not only seriously stylish but also perform on demand. With Carbon 4D tech in the midsole for controlled energy return and a Continental rubber outsole – yep, that’s the tyre company – for traction in wet and dry conditions, you can push yourself further. R5 999, shop.adidas.co.za

The Hi-Tec Spike shorts tick all the boxes: they’re lightweight, wick away sweat and provide ample pocket space – which zip up so you don’t lose your phone while working up a sweat. Bonus: built-in ventilation keeps you cool. R399, hi-tec.co.za

adidas AlphaEdge 4D Shoes

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Hi-Tec Desna and Spike Short

RUNNING EARBUDS

Samsung Galaxy Buds

These buds have been ergonomically shaped to fit comfortably and stay put. Tap and hold to answer calls without having to whip out your phone. Ideal for running or high-impact sports. R3 499, takealot.com

PERFORMANCE SHORTS

Reebok OSR Epic 2-in-1 Shorts

Contrary to gym bro belief, we like our cardio. And these shorts are the perfect length, offer brilliant moisture-wicking skills and, best of all, they’ve got a compression-short lining inside. They can do doubleduty for training too. R749, reebok.co.za

CUSHIONED RIDE

ASICS Gel Cumulus 21

INTENSITY INCREASER

SUPPORT ACT

What puts this speed ladder a step above the rest is that you can raise it for an extra challenge, making it impossible to cheat by stepping on the rungs. It’s easy to transport and simple to set up and break down when you’re done. R599, sportsmanswarehouse.co.za

Made from a stretchy jersey-like fabric, this tee shrink wraps around your torso to support your muscles, helping them generate added power and burn more kilojoules. It uses the brand’s Climachill tech, developed to keep you cool and dry in hot weather. R1 899, shop.adidas.co.za

SKLZ Elevation Ladder

adidas Alphaskin Tech T-Shirt

ASICS’ latest offering boasts Flytefoam Propel tech which provides a soft cushioning around the midsole, adding an extra bounce to your step. The gel technology throughout the shoe offers stability, while providing maximum shock absorption. Ideal for heel-striking runners. R2 200, asics.com.za

THE MOBILE AWARDS BEST FOR RUNNING

BEST FOR TRAINING

MapMyRun With over 70 million routes to choose from, you’ll never be stuck on where to run. The app can track and record distance, pace, elevation, calories burnt and more. Plus, you can link it to many of Under Armour’s HOVR running shoes and get customized running tips after every sesh on the tar (or trail).

SpeedShred We’ve developed the ultimate 12-week training programme and healthy eating plan to help you torch fat and build muscle in less time than any other workout routine. Best part? You don’t need a gym membership to do it. R499, speedshred. co.za

EST FOR CYCLING Strava This app lets cyclists (and runners) track their rides and runs using GPSenabled devices. You can also network and share routes with other road warriors. Our favourite feature: daily challenges, competitions and motivation will inspire you to rack up the kilometres. There are also great add-on apps.

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T H E 2 0 1 9 F I T N E S S AWA R D S TRUSTY TICKER

Garmin Vivoactive 3 Black Slate

If you want a watch that diligently tracks the most important fitness digits – calories, sleep quality, kilometres run, steps walked, stairs climbed, V02 estimation, you name it – at a reasonable asking price, this is it. It also has Garmin Pay and the robust battery will track your runs for a full week on one charge. R5 799, shop.garmin.co.za

OUTDOOR TRAINING LAYER

Salomon Agile Wind Jacket

This lightweight jacket is perfect for short runs or hikes. The vents along the upper back allow for airflow, keeping you cool as your body temp spikes during your run. This outer layer will also shield you from light rain and whipping winds. R1 099, salomonsports.co.za

MH PICK Run Angel “This personal safety wearable emits a loud sound to attract attention in an emergency. It will also alert three contactss by SMS S S and email with the date, time and your location when activated.” R11 49 495, runangel.com m – megan flemmit, Multimedia Journalist

HYDRATION PACK

BREATHABLE SHORTS

First Ascent Kinetic Running Shorts

First Ascent Stealth 1.5L Running Hydration Pack

Durable, breathable and styllish; thanks to the lightweight material and inner mesh tightss, these running shorts will keep you moving with ease during your next marathon. Also, don’t worry about your phone taking a nosedive at the 6km mark – there’s a back pocket designed to keep your device safe. R649, firstascent.co.za

TRAIL RUNNER

Salomon Supercross Trail Shoes

More of a wildebeest than a mountain goat on the trails? No fret – these off-road running shoes are designed for heavier runners. Equipped with tons of cushioning and extra aggressive grip, they give you the support you need to stay glued to your route. The best part: they weigh in at just 310g. R1 799, Sportsmans Warehouse 76

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This pack has a comfortable ffit, and doesn’t bounce up an nd down while running or hikking. It features several secure poc ckets and compartments for o on-the-go snacks and comp pulsory gear. Plus, there’s an option for soft bottles in additio dition to the bladder so you’ll never go thirsty. R1399, firstascent.co.za BLISTER BEATERS BLIST

Balega Blister Resist Quarter So oc cks

By now, you already know the importta ance of a good training shoe. But did you kno ow w your choice of socks is just as important? Every pair of kicks needs a pair of socks that can keep up with your aggressive pace. Balega has the answer. Their Blister Re essist range is super soft and can ha handle the most intense workouts. R160, takealot.com

PLAY!

NEW DRIVER

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES FOR A DULL ULL WORK WORKOUT. HAVE FUN (AND GET FIT) W WITH THIS NEXT-LEVEL EVEL GEA GEAR

TaylorMade M6

The M6’s new Advanced Speed Injected Twist Face is all aboutt speed and accuracy. The res esult: your drives will fly far ar, even if your shot’ ot’s a little off. R7 999, the ep proshop.co.za

BICYCLE HELMET

Fox Flux Mips Conduit Helmet

It’s hard to look good in a helmet, but this FOX lid protects your noggin while keeping things stylish. It’s been a best seller for over a decade. Designed with offroad riders in mind, it will go the distance. R2 499, foxracing.co.za

HIGH-TECH SHOES

Under Armour HOVR Infinite

GRAB A GIFT

UA quizzed veteran long distance runners on what they wanted from their footwear. The result: these teched-out neutral running shoes. Tech built into the shoe tracks, analyses and stores almost any running metric you can think of (pace, kilojoules, cadence etc.). It then uses this data to give you personalised running tips. R2 499, Under Armour

adidas Adapt to Chaos Shorts

A quick scan of the QR code on the shorts connects you to a website filled with info on running groups, routes and training tips – and a playlist for your run. The perfect gift for women. R749, shop. adidas.co.za

MH PICK Fitbit Versa Lite “II’m lax about charging the horde of devices in my life, so my fitness band is usually ou ut of juice when I finally hit the tar. Fortunately, the Versa gives you four days of trracking off a single charge, h all ll while hil collecting ll ti digits di it on the th fundamentals: f d t l steps, t slleep, heart-rate.” R3 R 199, incredible.co.za – kieran legg, Contributor

BACKYAARD TOY

SKLZ Reaction Ball

It’s hexagonal shape means it can bounce in any direction. You’ll need quick feet and even faster reaction times to pre-empt its speedy direction changes. This ball will improve your agility, boost your reactions and improve your hand-eye coordination. Play solo for practice or challenge your mates for bragging rights. R120, takealot.com

SPORTSUNGLASSES

Goodr OG

These shades have a classic shape, but also boast a no-slip grip, high-quality polarised lenses and plenty of personality. Consider these your new training partner for whatever you’re doing outdoors, from flipping tyres to pedalling up the nearest hill. From R1 400 (including delivery), trailrunnerstore.com MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 77

LIFT!

HOME WEIGHT

GET SWOLE – AT HOME OR AT THE GYM.

Kettle Gryp

Training at home without much space or cash for all the different weights? The Kettle Gryp is a lightweight and durable handle that attaches to your dumbbell to convert it into a kettlebell. Swing away. R1 870, wantitall.co.za

SUPPORTIVE TRAINER

Under Armour HOVR Apex

UA studied how feet move and then constructed a shoe designed to support and stabilise. And it shows. The zero gravity feel eliminates impact and the UA Tribase ensures you can always grip the ground, whether box jumping or deadlifting. R2 499, Under Armour

WRIST PROTECTOR

Harbinger Kettlebell Wrist Guards

If the kettlebell is a regular part of your workouts (and you’re doing more than just a few cleans and snatches), these wrist guards are mandatory. They’ll help protect you against strain and injury, giving you the confidence to push harder during your next sesh. R389, takelot.com

MH PICK adidas 4KRFT Parley Shorts “I struggle to find shorts that fit right. Often, they’re too loose (or too snug) and it messes with my rhythm when I’m lifting. These fit great. Bonus: they’re made from recycled waste from beaches and coastal communities.” R999, shop.adidas.co.za – thaaqib daniels, Content Produ er

ECO-FRIENDLY SHIRT

Movero Bamboo Training Shirt

ALL-ROUND TRAINER

Reebok Nano 9

Even though you aren’t going to the CrossFit Games, you can train like the competition’s tough-as-nails competitors (check out p88). The Flexweave upper lets your feet breathe and move, but the rigid midfoot support cage and the NanoShell midsole keep soles locked in during heavier lifting. R1 999, reebok.co.za

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That’s right – this shirt is made from bamboo. But why? Besides being eco-friendly, sustainable, and biodegradable? It’s naturally breathable, moisture-wicking and anti-bacterial. Plus, it’s made locally in Cape Town. R599, facebook. com/MoveroBamboo

T H E 2 0 1 9 F I T N E S S AWA A KNEE PROTECTOR

RockTape Assassins Knee Sleeves

These 5mm-thick neoprene and lycra workout partners were tested through pistol, front and back squats, cleans, lunges and more. Designed to help keep your knees warm and tracking right, these sleeves didn’t slip at any stage or hamper us during our workouts. R599 for the pair, rocktapeprotea.co.za

ALL-IN-ONE JACKET

PUMA Reactive Woven Jacket

A jacket for both indoor and outdoor training, one tester took it for a run up the gruelling trails on Lion’s Head in CT. Their takeaway: the front pocket acts as a hip pack and its buckled strap and zip secure your valuables so you don’t have to head back up again to find your house keys. R1 499, totalsports.co.za

CARDIO MACHINE

Technogym Skillbike

Unlike a Peloton, this indoor training bike has actual gear shifts. That makes pedaling up hills a little more realistic (and challenging). An LCD screen analyses your pedaling style, too, keeping you accountable and pushing you to cycle harder and faster. technogym.com/int/#za

FUNCTIONAL TRAINER

PUMA LQDCELL Tension

Twenty years after PUMA released the CELL, the new generation LQDCELL is here. And it’s been engineered for maximum comfort. “As a functional trainer, these are honestly the best workout shoes I’ve worn in a very long t me,” said one of our testers. R1 99, totalsports.co.za

TRAINING TUNES

Under Armour JBL Train Wireless Headphones

Great sound quality and washable moisture-resistant ear cushions combined with an ergonomic ear tip designed for athletes that never hurts or falls out, make these Bluetooth-enabled wireless buds the perfect workout wingman. For every five minutes of charge, you get one hour of workout time. R2 999, connoisseur.co.za

SUPPORT STRUCTURE

Harbinger FlexFit Contour Belt

Its easy-to-use, quick-draw buckle and smart contoured shape let you take it on (and off) quickly, all while still providing the rigid core support and tension you need for heavier lifts. Plus, it’s much more comfortable than other options. Bring on the PBs. R550, takealot.com

PEOPLE’S PICK Nike Metcon 5 A fan favourite, the Metcon 5 now provides specific stability for heavy lifting and features a wider, diamond-shaped heel. R2 199, nike.com/za/

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T H E 2 0 1 9 F I T N E S S AWA R D S MOVEMENT COACH

Moov Now

This wrist gadget measures and analyses your exact movements to provide you with expert advice on improving your form. It also has real-time audio coaching to keep you motivated and inspire you to push further. Bonus: you’ll have access to a long list of free guided programmes in the MOOV app. R1 900, pclinkshop. com

ALL-IN-ONE SHORTS

Reebok One Series Epic Shorts

We like our training kit to perform like Vernon Philander – a true all-rounder. These slick-looking boardshorts offer both killer form and function thanks to the latest sweatwicking tech and engineered fit, but you can wear them outside the gym too. R649, reebok.co.za

MOISTURE-WICKING TEE

Reebok OST Smartvent Move Te

It’s like the training god ds created this tee just fo our sweat monster tes er. The SmartVent fabric wicks moisture fast an the built-in perforations offer 20% more ventilation than other T-shirts, so as the intensit ramps up – the cooling effect gets better. R699, reebok.co.za

TECHED OUT SHIRT

Under Armour Rush Short Sleeve Shirt

Want to improve endurance and strength? Train in this top. As your body emits energy, the mineralinfused fabric absorbs and reflects it back into your tissues and muscles. Seriously, this isn’t bro science, it’s scientifically tested. R899, Under Armour

PERFORMANCE SHIRT

adidas Freelift Parley Tee

The great thing about this tee is that it’s perfect for any type of workout. Although it has a close-to-body fit, the FreeLift pattern has stay-put coverage which means that during overhead movements, your abs (or boep) won’t be exposed. R749, shop.adidas.co.za

80 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

IP ASSISTOR

m Grips

If your train revol es mostly aro nd pull-up b rs an gymnastic rings, these r ct your hands across the biggest friction areas. T e Spidergrip leather treatment als gives you a stronger grip. Plus, t e edges next to the fingers are contoured for added comfort. R199, takealot.com

COME B CK EVEN STRONGER, MORE REL XED AND MORE STYLISH .

RECOVER!

TRAVEL MASSAGE TOOL

Hyperice Hypersphere

Hyperice’s vibrating massage ball is small enough to fit easily in your backpack or suitcase. But this tiny gadget packs a serious punch, with three different vibration settings and a hard body that’s perfect for loosening tight glutes and lats on the go. R2 900, hyperice.co.za

QUICK FIX

ElastoPlast Spiral Heat Patch

FOAM ROLLER

TriggerPoint CHARGE Foam Roller

Feeling a bit tender or suffering from cramped muscles, sprains and strains? The Spiral Heat patch uses heat therapy for targeted pain relief. Plus, it’s designed to adapt and adhere to the contours of different body parts. R199 for 3, takealot.com

With elevated and opposing curves that replicate advanced muscle therapy techniques, this hollow core foam roller enhances blood and oxygen circulation and speeds up recovery. No pain, no gain, right? R699, takealot.com

RECOVERY SOAK

Exalt Sport Magnesium Dead Sea Flakes

Magnesium is known to reduce inflammation as well as aiding in muscle and nerve function, while the sulphate will help with muscle recovery and detoxification. The essential oils, vitamin C crystals and MSM add more unique benefits for recovery that will enhance your sleep and let your body feel ready to go again! R99.95 Exaltsa.co.za MASSAGE GUN

YOGA MAT

Say cheers to DOMS thanks to this hightempo, batterypowered, handheld sports percussion massage. It comes with an assortment of massage heads for different muscle groups (and has 4 speeds). Plus, it’s significantly quieter than a lot of other massagers so you’ll still be able to hear the rugby commentary. R4 999, flowsports. co.za

Here at MH most of us aren’t small or nimble, so the fact that the Mocana Nimbus is longer and wider than other mats is a winner. And the alignment line that runs vertically down the mat to guide you during your downward dog cements its spot at the top. R1 349, mocana.yoga

Flow Pro One

Mocana Nimbus Yoga Mat

EDITOR’S PICK Under Armour Athlete Recovery Sleepwear “Need help combatting DOMS after a hard workout? This recovery sleepwear is made of mineral-lined fabric that reflects infrared light back into your body to help restore muscles faster.” R1 199, Under Armour – robert cilliers, Editor & Creative Director

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J N

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

BATTLE READY He's the hardest worker in the training room. Learn from one of the fittest and strongest men to don the green and gold. WORDS BY MEGAN FLEMMIT

When he scored in the 44th minute, helping the Springboks take an early lead, he realised that all his dreams had come true. The Boks went on to lose the match, but the young player left the field feeling like he had just won in life. That night was the culmination of all his hard work, years of sacrifices and endless time spent thinking through strategies. “It’s funny, but Rugby was all I ever wanted to do. There wasn’t anything else. There was no plan B – it was just rugby.”

FieldofDreams

esse started playing rugby in his back yard with his twin brother when he was six years old. Nineteen years later, he’s about to play for the Springboks in his second Rugby World Cup. Here’s how he rose through the ranks. He could feel his heart racing. His mouth had gone dry. But, despite his nerves, he was ready to take up the mantle that many had carried before him. As he stood with the rest of the Springboks on the field at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, all he could think about was the honour of representing his country. It was 18 July 2015, and 21-yearold Jesse was about to make his debut as a Bok in a match against Australia. It’s a night that’s etched into his memory. “It was probably one of the best nights of my life,” says Jesse. “I remember struggling to fall asleep the night before, but it was such an amazing experience. It was such an honour to play for my country.”

84 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

JesseandhistwinbrotherDanwerebornin CapeTown.Atagesix,Jesse'sparents divorced.Thebrothersmovedwiththeirmom toUnderberg,asmalltownintheDrakensberg,togolivewiththeirgrandparents. From their first year of school, the pair started playing sports. Besides rugby, they both took part in hockey, cricket, soccer and athletics. Even then, Jesse loved physical activity. His whole life revolved around sport, with no breaks – even on weekends. “I must take my hat off to my mother. She was a single mom and she had to cart us off to all our sporting events. She was there for every single one of them. We were lucky to have her.” When they weren’t playing sport at school, the brothers spent their time tackling each other in their backyard. “My brother and I spent a lot of time together. We had all the same classes before they decided to split us up. We just became a handful because we were always running amok,” he laughs. For their final year of primary school, the pair moved to Merchiston Prep, a move Angie Kriel felt would arm her sons with vital sporting and academic tools. A year later, Jesse and Dan started at Maritzburg College, a school with a rich history for producing Springbok greats. “I was lucky to go to Maritzburg. The school had a lot of traditions and the coaches were strict,” says Jesse. Under their guidance, he forged a routine that would one day help secure his spot on the Springboks. “We were forced to wake up at the crack of dawn because our squad sessions were early in the morning. You just learnt to pitch up and do the work. I was fortunate to attend a school that instilled these values.” Like all 15-year-old boys who are serious aboutplaying rugby, theKrielbrotherstried out forGrantKhomo Week.Playing in the tournamentis anopportunityawardedto only those whosetalentsupersedes their peers.

FA N CY FO OT WO R K UsethesedrillsbyBulls’strength andconditioningcoachJacus Coetzeetoimproveyouragility.

1. N E W S PA P E R T E A R Why: Improving lateral hip strength will help you change direction faster. Do it: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Imagine standing on a newspaper and trying to tear it apart by pushing your feet outwards. Push feet out as hard as you can without moving them. Keep this tension for 10 sec. Rest for one minute. Do five reps; twice a week.

2 . L AT E R A L B OX J U M P S Why: This helps you improve your ankles’, knees’ and hips’ plyometric ability Do it: Stand on a 30cm box (start on a lower box if this is too high). Jump to the side (lateral), land on one leg and jump back, explosively. Quickly jump back on the box – keeping contact time on the ground to a minimum. Try and jump as far you can – but while still being able to jump back on the box. Complete six jumps on each side. Rest for two minutes. Do three sets; twice a week.

3 . PA R T N E R M IR R O R D R I L L Why: This will improve your ability to change direction and improve your visual problem-solving cognition. Do it: Enlist the help of a partner. Stand five metres apart, facing each other. Mirror all the different movements they do. Move forwards, backwards and sideways, completing the movements as quickly as possible. Make sure to maintain the five metre distance at all times. The different movements can include: lateral shuffle, cross over, forward and backward running and Carioca. Do these movements in five-second intervals. Take turns being the mirror, with each one initiating two movements (four in total). Complete this exercise twice a week.

Cover Model Muscle

186cm HEIGHT

SQUAT

JESSE KRIEL AGE: 25 POSITION: UTILITY BACK TEST MATCHES: 44 SUPER RUGBY GAMES: 70

96kg

WEIGHT

.6%

BODY FAT

WhileDan wasselectedtoplay, Jesse didnot. Althoughhewashappyforhisbrother,the young rugbyplayerfelt disappointed. “I thoughtI would make it, and Ididn’t. It was ahuge turningpoint inmycareer.Iremember the listofteams goingup outside ofthegym and myname wasn’t on it. Iremember telling myself,I don’twant thistoeverhappenagain.” Missingout motivated Jesse to work even harder. He doubleddown onhis training – spendingmostofhistimeeitherat the gym oronthe field.While hisfriends spent their schoolholidaysbeing,well,kids, Jesse was training. “Imade a lot ofsacrifices,butI don’tregretany of it. I’m happy with every decision I have ever made.” Thesportsman

R EC OV E R L I K E A P RO Justcompletedahectictraining session?FollowJacus’planfor post-trainingrecovery.

AC T I V E R E C O V E RY

(30-60min after training) Walk barefoot on a soft surface, preferably grass. Breathe in slowly through your nose so you feel your stomach push out, then slowly out again. Do this for 15 minutes. This will have a positive effect on the autonomic nervous system’s ability to maintain and recover homeostasis and restore the functionality of the body after load.

PA S S I V E R E C OV E RY Take a 20-minute warm bath, preferably using any of the EXALT SPORT recovery products (see p. 81).

86 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

was determined notto beleft out.He’dlearnt thatworking hard would takehim tothe top, and then keep him there. By the time Craven Week came around two years later, he was prepared. This time he was selected to represent the Sharks U18 team. The youngster made the most of the opportunity: “Playing at such a high level at a young age was awesome. It was a good a way for me to improve my game. I was surrounded by the best in my age group at Craven Week, and it forced me to work harder.” After his stellar performance at Craven Week, he was selected for the South African National School side, where he played against France and England. After matric, Jesse, his brother Dan and fellow Springbok Handre Pollard headed to Loftus to join the Bulls. It was the beginning of an impressive career on the field. He played for the Bulls U19 and U21 sides before making his debut on the senior team in 2014. Jesse was also selected to play for the U20 Springbok side in the IRB Junior Rugby Championships in 2013 and 2014.

PoisedtoStrike

Todate,Jesse hasplayed70Super Rugby Games and44testmatches,including his apps at theRugbyWorldCupin 2015.With eachgame he’splayed,he'srefined his on-fieldstrategies. Jesse sayshehas an analytical mind,oneheuses to his advantage. Toprepare for anupcoming game,he considers whathe knowsabout the opposing team– their strengthsand their weaknesses. After a game, he spendshoursanalysinghow he played and finds ways to improve. “I wouldn’t say my play has changed, but with experience comes smarter thinking. I spend more time doing things that will benefit me and that’s helped me work more effectively,” he explains. One of the ways he does this is by enlisting the help of trainers. Instead of planning all his sessions himself, he asks for help from those around him – whether it’s from the strength and conditioning coach or the nutritionist. Although it’s been four years since Jesse first donned the green and gold, he still recognises what a privilege it is to play for the Springboks. “Playing for the team is a massive honour and I still get nervous before a big game,” he admits. “I just want to do my teammates and my country proud. I think once you start losing that sense of honour or pressure, then you start taking things for granted.

“The lesson I’ve learnt is to just work hard and be resilient. There will be injuries that set you back, but you just have to be resilient.” Jesse was hit with a brutal injury earlier this year. He suffered an ankle injury during a Bulls game against the Stormers. The injury required surgery and forced him to step away from the game for weeks. It couldn’t have come at a worse time – a few months before the Rugby World Cup. But Jesse heeded his doctor’s advice and rested while his ankle recovered. It’s one of the things he’s learnt over the years – always to listen to the pros. Instead, during his time off, he went travelling – his passion outside of rugby. “I took the opportunity to go to Majorca, Spain, and I also went to see the Proteas play in London, which was a special moment for me,” he says. After much physio and rehab, Jesse once again took to the field. He had enough time to prepare for his next challenge: the Rugby World Cup. “I’m excited about the upcoming World Cup in Japan. I think it’s going to be a good championship,” he says. “With the first World Cup, I had this big fear of the unknown. I know what to expect now so I’m less nervous about it.”

ExtraCredit

Part ofwhatmakes Jesse sucha formidable player on the fieldishis fitnessroutine.The 25-year-old lovesworkingout. Aftertheteam finishes uptheir training for theday,Jesse will headto thegym to workonhisbody even more. Hefinds thatbeing in the best shape possible ensureshismuscles are ready for battle. “Theextrasession helps me feel confident andgives me confidencethatmy bodyis readyfor theweekahead.” For Jesse, recovery is just as important as training. Over the years, the athlete has discovered the impact of proper recovery, and not just after a big game, but after a

E AT L I K E P RO

hectic workout, too. Along with stretching his muscles after training, the former Bulls centre takes Epsom salt baths. He also goes for a soft-tissue massage twice a week. “It also helps to know which foods aid recovery and which ones help reduce inflammation,” he adds. After a game, he finds it difficult to eat anything. Instead, he drinks an Energade to replace his spent electrolytes. Otherwise he'll whip up a whey protein shake.

BeyondtheTry-Line

The centre can now add the titleof businessman to his repertoire.Herecentlylauncheda range of recovery productswith Bulls strengthand conditioningcoach Jacus Coetzee. NamedExaltSport,therange consists ofpre-and post-workoutmuscle recoveryproductsincluding Epsom salts. “I noticed there weren’t anyEpsomsalts which focusedpurelyon recovery,” heexplains.“As anathleteI saw aneedforthat,so Ithoughtit would be agoodidea to createa product thatI knewwouldbenefit a lotofpeople.”With Jacus’knowledge,the pairtestedvarious formulasbeforefinding theperfect mix.“We wanted to give people thebest possible product,”he says. Along with his new business venture, Jesse has also made other moves on the field. He played his last game for the Bulls at the end of this year’s Super Rugby season. After the World Cup, he’ll play for the Canon Eagles, a Japanese Top League team coached by former Springbok coach Allister Coetzee. “I’m very grateful to the Bulls,” he says. “They have given me all the opportunities that I have had while playing rugby. I had my first shot at the Bulls so I will always be grateful to them.” While Jesse’s sad to leave behind his old team, he is also excited about the chapter ahead. Jesse has played in Japan before (and loved his time there). Now, he looks forward to new challenges: “I think [the move] will be good. It’s a different league so it’s a chance for me to learn different styles of rugby and learn from new players,” he says. “I’m very excited about the new chapter and what’s in store. I can’t wait to get over there and add value to the team, enjoy new cultures, new people and get to know Japan a lot better.

Forprofessionalathletes,propernutrition isjustasimportantastraining.Here’show youshouldstackyourplateinpreparation formatchday(andthenextday),according toAnneenMiddel,registereddieticianat PVMNutritionalSciences: PROTEIN

CARDOHYDRATES

FRUIT & VEGETABLE

24 HOURS BEFORE MATCH DAY

Goal: In the 24 hours before the event, you need to optimise glycogen storage in both the liver and muscle. Increase carbohydrate intake moderately to ensure glycogen levels are replenished. Combine carb intake with moderate amounts of lean protein to help stabilise blood-sugar levels.

MATCH DAY

Goal: When eating 2-3 hours before the game, ensure you have adequate energy intake. Do not skip this meal. Ensure you get enough kilojoules – and carbs – to recover muscle glycogen after training or fasting (i.e. sleeping). Include sufficient slow and/or intermediate releasing carbs. Add moderate amounts of protein. Small amounts of fat to help stabilise blood sugar levels together with protein and carbohydrates.

IMMEDIATE RECOVERY

(0 – 60 minutes post-match) Goal: With immediate recovery you can knock back a recovery drink packed with both carbs and protein. Drinking this mix within the first few minutes after an event is crucial to help replenish glycogen stores and repair muscle tissue. This initial period (0 - 60min) after a game is called the window period during which the speed of nutrient uptake is quick (read: ideal conditions). Poor recovery can influence muscle repair, immune function and affect your performance during follow-up training or games.

"THELESSON I’VELEARNTIS TOJUSTWORK HARD,AND BERESILIENT. THEREWILL BEINJURIES WHICHSET YOUBACK, BUTYOUJUST HAVETOBE RESILIENT."

EXTENDED RECOVERY (1 - 3 hours post-match) Goal: This meal is important for optimal replenishment, but even more so if athletes are going to train again the following day (or for series of matches). It should contain moderate portions of both carbohydrates and protein. Drink plenty of water to replenish lost fluids. MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 87

WELCOME TO THE

TRIBE CrossFit can make you stronger, leaner and healthier – but it’s not for everyone. Arthur Jones journeyed to the epicentre of this fitness uprising – the annual Reebok CrossFit Games – to help you figure out whether this is your true calling. Photographs by DUKE LOREN and MICHAEL VALENTIN

88 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

STRONG ARM: HERE, CAPTAIN CHANDLER SMITH (OF THE US ARMY) MAKES THE 4.5M ROPE ASCENT, USING JUST HIS ARMS, LOOK EASY. HE TOOK SECOND PLACE IN THIS WORKOUT.

I have found a new tribe in an American city called Madison. Like a poor man’s version of Sir David Attenborough, I’m researching this species, but without the refined British accent, intelligence and skill. I’ve noted some of their physical characteristics: the group includes both men and women of all ages, they have non-existent body-fat, roadmap vascularity, low resting heart rates, a penchant for tattoos and a capacity to move heavy things quickly. The men can run 6km in just over 24 minutes with a weighted backpack but can also deadlift north of 250kg – even though they weigh less than half that. They can handstand walk over obstacles, clean and jerk 170kg, race up and down pegboards and finish 42km of rowing in under 2 hours and 45 minutes. They look and perform like mutants, ones that have been refined in labs with test tubes and gene splicing. In truth, it’s come from a thorough dedication to improving their work capacity. Their ability to move, lift, push, carry and function physically are at almost superhuman levels. They are the Swiss Army knives of fitness, and the secret weapons in their armoury: a focus on always-varied, measurable workouts consisting of different challenges, times and components; and a laser-like focus on recovery, mobility and nutrition. The common thread to this tribe: a devotion to CrossFit. We can’t guarantee that you’ll compete with these athletes next year, but you will become stronger, faster and leaner by joining the tribe.

R I T E S O F PA S S A G E

Here’s where I’ve got to put in a disclaimer. Full disclosure: I’m part of the movement, a tribe member for seven years, and have paid my dues in sweat, time and a large chunk of my meagre salary. I’m a believer. I’ve made close friends through this community, and have trained in boxes (the name for CrossFit gyms) around the world. I take my daughter 90 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

RAISE THE BAR: LOCAL MASTERS ATHLETE DAVID LEVEY WON THIS WORKOUT WITH AN EPIC TWO-REP 140KG OVERHEAD SQUAT.

to CrossFit Kids training and have helped my brother join. When I’ve spoken to other people about it (and no, it wasn’t something I brought up), they’ve seen it as a mysterious fitness fraternity, like the Illuminati or Scientology of exercise, and are surprised by my passion for it. In truth, there is no mystery, no secret handshakes or arcane rituals, and it’s not just for these athletes pictured here – I’m a 37-year-old father of two fighting against the onset of middle-aged mediocrity and the terrible dangers of the dad bod, and I face the same problems as plenty of men in this country: a lack of time and money (and have genetics which veer closer to the shallow end of the gene pool). Most of the editorial I’ve read and researched, especially online, has been written by journalists who haven’t tried a class. My tribal journey started with writing on my CrossFit experience for this same magazine seven years ago, and now I’m still

LOCAL LEGEND: TOP SA ATHLETE JASON SMITH PLACED 9TH IN THE WEIGHTED BACKPACK RUN WORKOUT, FINISHING 29TH IN THE GAMES OVERALL.

training at the same box, and in my opinion, it provides both perspective and comparison. Through my work, I’ve been privileged to try plenty of different training methods, but this is the one that’s stuck. If you haven’t heard of CrossFit – or like the joke goes, haven’t been told about it in conversation repeatedly by the people who do it – it’s a global fitness and health brand that was created in 1997 (trademarked in 2000) by Greg Glassman and his then-wife, Lauren Jenai, whom he later bought out in 2009. CrossFit Inc. defines itself as “constantly varied functional movements executed across broad time and modal domains” and the goal: improving health and fitness, which it defines as work capacity across those same domains. To explain that, it’s a strength and conditioning programme which incorporates Olympic lifting, gymnastics, interval training, weightlifting, strongman moves, plyometrics, powerlifting and calisthenics – all into one workout plan. This kind of training is carried out at affiliate CrossFit gyms around the world in a franchise-type model, all using a similar training format: a 60-minute workout that is broken down into a short warm-up element, a skill-development segment and then a high-intensity WOD, which is short for “Workout of the Day” and which differs daily in length, rep scheme and exercise format. According to the CrossFit Journal, nearly every measurable value of health can be placed on a continuum that ranges from sickness to wellness to fitness. According to Greg Glassman: “Fitness is and should be ‘super-wellness’, with sickness, wellness and fitness being measures of the same entity.” Consequently, Glassman sees CrossFit as an answer to the growth of lifestyle and chronic health conditions like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart disease along with obesity. "I see each of my 14 500 gyms as a lifeboat against a tsunami of chronic disease," Glassman said during a talk in December last year. “Chronic disease is self-inflicted. It’s also preventable.”

ENTER THE ARENA Part of the movement is the Reebok CrossFit Games, a four-day challenge that has become the world cup of fitness: part gladiator battle, obstacle course, Olympic lifting meet and sports showcase. It is where elite athletes MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 91

have the opportunity to earn the “Fittest on Earth” title in a gruelling physical showdown at the Alliant Energy Centre in Madison, Wisconsin in the United States. It started back in 2007 and has been held annually since then as the climax of the CrossFit season, and it includes male and female individual, team, master and teen categories. There are different ways to qualify. The latest iteration of criteria includes national champions, regional affiliated competition winners and the highest-ranking athletes in the Open, which is the global online workout competition where anyone can take part – the 2019 season saw over 430 000 people enter. The 2020 version of the Open starts in October. While CrossFit Inc. has attracted a sizeable following of believers, there are plenty of detractors. But the physical proof is not only evident in the prime athletes seen on these pages, but also along with numerous health comeback stories and before-andafter comparisons. Most importantly, its success can also be verified, not just by the growth of the sport, but also by looking at the number of men and women who have stayed in the tribe. Longevity and sustainability are not common in the fitness world. One of them is David Levey, a biokineticist, head coach and owner of CrossFit Algoa in Port Elizabeth, and a four-time CrossFit Games competitor. Levey is now a Masters athlete in the 40-to-44 age category, who placed sixth in his category in the 2019 version of the Games. “I started CrossFit in October 2011. I enjoy its methodology and the approach to fitness,” says Levey. “I’ve also experienced the most significant positive changes in my body physically and with my fitness versus any other method of training that I tried before. It develops all aspects of fitness – cardiovascular endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, coordination, balance and even accuracy.” Thankfully, this is not only for genetically gifted athletes like Levey. “From what I’ve seen running my affiliate, the average South African man becomes fitter, and moves further away from sickness and closer to a level of ‘super fitness’. Some of the physiological measures that improve include: blood pressure; muscle mass and body fat percentage; bone density; good versus bad cholesterol; flexibility; VO2 max and more,” 92 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

says Levey. But it’s not just physical. “I’ve also noticed large improvements in many of our members’ mental health, sense of wellbeing and self-esteem over the years.” Sound like the right tribe for you? Here are the most common CrossFit questions – use the answers to help you make up your mind.

W I L L I H U R T M YS E L F DOING CROSSFIT?

Nick Pereira is a sports and orthopaedic physiotherapist and owner of Enhanced Physio in KZN. He has worked in national and professional sports in South Africa since 2013. He is also an avid CrossFitter. This makes him one of the few medical experts who has tried the sport before judging on its risk. “I’ve seen this argument from both sides: as a clinician, treating CrossFit-related injuries and as a new member; and to be honest, part of my apprehension to join an affiliate was due to the myth that it causes injuries,” says Pereira. “Some of the claims: ‘They lift weights too fast and there’s no control’, ‘They force you to lift heavy’, ‘The technique or form is bad’ – in some circumstances, this is true, but from what I’ve seen and experienced, it’s not the fault of CrossFit or the coach of the class.” In fact, he believes doing CrossFit can actually help prevent injury. “As a physiotherapist who is a huge advocate for exercise in the prevention of musculoskeletal pain and illness, I’m a supporter of CrossFit. I’ve done the research and there is no more of an injury risk doing CrossFit than being involved in other recreational individual or team sports. This is confirmed in a paper by Klimek, 2017 in the Journal of Sports Rehabilitation: ‘Are Injuries More Common In CrossFit Training Than Other Forms Of Exercise?,’” says Pereira. “There is a huge movement in my industry towards preventative exercise to delay musculoskeletal injuries like chronic back pain, knee osteoarthritis, chronic shoulder pain, to name a few. In my opinion, the solution is to build a strong, robust body capable of diverse movements and able to manage whatever life throws at them, and that is what this kind of training can provide.” However, that doesn’t mean CrossFit training is without its hazards. The most dangerous injury risk in CrossFit isn’t due to any exercise or workout – it’s human ego, especially among men. “The initial

enthusiasm in classes is sometimes so immense that members get carried away – and the advice and logic of the coaches are discarded and generally this is when things can go wrong,” says Pereira. “Coaches and affiliate owners manage this by having introductory blocks, basic skill progressions and different workout scaling options to ensure that members are looked after and safely integrated.” The ego problem can cause other issues too: “I’ve found that some men’s egos can be a large barrier to entry with starting at a CrossFit Box, and with long-term compliance to training,” says Levey. “I’ve experienced that highly competitive men often fear being outdone by others, especially by a woman half their size, for example, in strength movements. This prevents some men from even starting, or continuing, with CrossFit training as they try to outperform other people,” explains Levey. “By doing this, they tend to expose themselves to injury, taking on a ‘win at all costs’ type of attitude. At CrossFit Algoa, we suggest leaving your ego at the door.”

CHAMPION MINDSET: MAT FRASER (RIGHT) AND NOAH OLSEN BATTLE IT OUT DURING THE SPLIT TRIPLET WORKOUT. FRASER WENT ON TO WIN THE GAMES FOR THE 4TH TIME IN A ROW.

One of the criticisms which has been levelled at CrossFit globally is that the high intensity of the workouts can cause an extremely rare condition called rhabdomyolysis, where muscle fibres break down and enter the bloodstream. This can cause kidney damage. This condition is not exclusive to CrossFit and is more common in marathon runners and cyclists, trauma and car crash victims and certain drug users, but there have been a handful of anecdotal examples of it in the United States. We couldn't find any documented South African examples, and while it’s extremely rare, it's also easily avoidable through common sense and with the help of educated coaches to sidestep overtraining. The last consideration in this topic is to make sure you have a skilled, experienced coach. Even though there are set certifications and standards which all CrossFit coaches need, the ability, training quality and knowledge will vary just like any other workout method. And, in terms of personality, you’ll also want a coach and community which fits into what you’re looking for.

“WELCOME TO CROSSFIT. I’M MAT.”

Not sure how to tackle CrossFit’s most badass technical skills? These tips from the four-time reigning Reebok CrossFit Games champion Mat Fraser will prime you. By Ebenezer Samuel

THE SNATCH:

WHAT IS IT? One of the most technically demanding moves in CrossFit (and Olympic weightlifting), the snatch has you lifting a loaded barbell from the ground to overhead, all in one motion. FRASER’S WISDOM: “Keep your arms absolutely straight and locked out through the first part of the lift so all the power from your hips will translate upward.” FRASER’S BEST: 143kg Snatch

THE MUSCLE-UP:

WHATISIT? An advanced movement, the muscle-up requires that you start hanging from a bar or rings, then pull your entire torso above it, locking your arms out at the top. FRASER’S WISDOM: “Do not try ring muscle-ups until you are very good at pull-ups – strict pull-ups. Learn pull-ups first, then muscleups will come.” FRASER’S BEST: Can do 30 muscle-ups in two minutes.

CARDIO ROW:

WHAT IS IT? The cardio row machine mimics what it’s like to row a boat. A typical CrossFit workout includes rowing a set distance or number of kilojoules. FRASER’S WISDOM: “Start coiled close to the rower, then extend your legs, then your hips, then follow through with your arms. It will feel unnatural.” FRASER’S BEST: Completed the 2018 Marathon Row event in 2:48:36.

ASSAULT AIRBIKE:

WHAT IS IT? The cardio crusher has your feet pedalling and your arms pulling against variable resistance, typically for a set number of calories. FRASER’S WISDOM: “Embrace the pain and just go hard. Keep telling yourself the pain will leave in a little bit, because you’re never on there for long. There is no form.” FRASER’S BEST: One-minute AirBike record: 80 calories.

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 93

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THE LESSONS FROM MADISON

You aren't going to the Reebok CrossFit Games, but you can learn from them.

1/ CONSISTENCY AND PERSEVERANCE ARE TRAINING BUDDIES.

“Most Games athletes have been training diligently for many years, and it’s the continuous goal of seeking daily small improvements that leads to massive accumulated long-term improvements,” explains Levey. “Once you start making progress, don’t get greedy and try to make huge improvements too quickly. This often leads to injuries, and can slow down your future progress as you haven’t built a sufficient base.” This lesson is validated by Chris Oman: “You need to be very consistent, and drop the excuses if you want results. Just like the Games athletes: show up every day and do your best and it can change your life, even if you aren’t aiming at competing at their level.”

participants, which allows the coach to monitor form and technique. “Compared to most gyms out there, we aren’t a place where you swipe your card and do your own thing, as that’s where, for most clients, that unfortunately turns into very little. The biggest value we can create is a place where we have paying members who actually train versus low-cost gyms where the idea is to have as many members as possible, but where no one makes sure that they do train and get results.” To get value out of CrossFit, you also don’t necessarily need to pay for a full membership that lets you train every day – a cheaper, two day a week membership will still offer plenty of benefits, especially for beginners. “Training less, at higher intensities and with more training effect, will also free you up to spend time with the family, enjoy more park runs or play a round of golf, go hiking, cycling or just adventure with your new-found resilience to injury, strength and fitness for life,” says Pereira.

WILL IT HELP ME BUILD MUSCLE?

Contrary to the belief of many gym bros, the answer is yes, but it depends on what you eat and your goals. “The way your body

2/ ROUTINE IS THE ENEMY.

At the Games, and within CrossFit training, every day (and every workout) is different. “Training specificity theory says you adapt to your training mode, which is why crosstraining became a recommended addition to sports like running and cycling,” says Pereira. “The more you do, the better you get, except, if you only do one thing, you'll only improve at that one thing. Combining weightlifting, running, rowing, cycling, swimming, jumping, gymnastics and metabolic conditioning in hundreds of workout formats makes for ample variability.”

3/ NUTRITION IS THE KEY.

Whether your goals are to pile on muscle, torch fat or become the world’s fittest man, it all comes down to what you’re putting on a plate. “This is the foundation of the CrossFit pyramid, and not many types of training or exercise methods place more emphasis on fuel for training,” says Pereira. “It empowers people to make better food choices and to see the link between eating to fuel activity. Exercise makes you feel good, but eating well makes you exercise better and feel great.”

reacts to CrossFit is highly connected to your diet,” says Oman. “If you eat enough to create a positive energy balance, you can build muscle – just look at the Games athletes, they’ll put most gym-goers to shame.” The exercises that the Games athletes compete in aren’t radically different from what most CrossFitters will do – the volume or degree of difficulty will just be higher. “The secret sauce to great muscle hypertrophy is in those fast movements. High-speed, eccentric muscle movements stimulate growth like nothing else,” explains Pereira. However, if you’re looking purely at fast weight gain, it may not be right for you. “Even though we do a lot of strength training, both with and without loads, it isn’t a bodybuilding programme,” says Oman. “If you’re looking at getting as big as possible, then this may not be the best bet. We do focus a lot on conditioning, cardio, gymnastics and other training formats which make you stronger and fitter, but won’t necessarily provide you with massive guns.” Bottom line: if you want functional fitness and strength – it’s a great option. If you are looking for pure muscle gain, you may want to stick to traditional strength training, strongman work or powerlifting.

4/ EMBRACE THE SUCK.

“People, in general, tend to avoid what makes them uncomfortable and what they’re less competent at,” says Levey. “CrossFit exposes many weaknesses in fitness and puts you in a position of discomfort, but that leads to the changes you want. Be open to trying new movements and to spending time training aspects that aren’t comfortable. Most importantly, leave your ego at the door, and focus on good position and good movement before adding speed and load.”

5/ WARM-UP AND DOWN PROPERLY.

Men, in general, don’t like stretching or warming up properly before a workout, and it costs them in both reduced performance and increased injury risk. “I've never encountered a sport which has such an emphasis on warming up, mobility and general body awareness,” says Pereira. “Mobility moves, warm-up sessions and progressive strength work is programmed into every session, making rehab and prehab such an easy sell to this community. The perks of this association are that it creates educated exercisers who understand their bodies and movement better.”

D O I H AV E TO T R A I N IN A CLASS?

Yes. And this is an emphatic one. If you’re a lone wolf type or just don’t like people, this isn’t for you. The CrossFit community and the benefits of group training – along with the workout variety and the focus on nutrition and mobility – is one of the most effective weapons in the CrossFit arsenal. “Group training makes people accountable to each other, makes workouts fun and keeps people coming back,” says Pereira. “When you’re in the box environment, you push yourself harder and train at a much better intensity than if you were on your own in the gym. The support you’ll have is second to none, and you won’t find that at any regular gym in the country.” This sentiment is echoed by both Oman and Levey: “One of the most powerful things we can experience in terms of training is when a group of people turn around after finishing their workout to cheer on those still working – and this happens on a daily basis,” says Oman. “Have fun, enjoy the training and make friends. Life is more about enjoying the journey, especially with others, than merely arriving at a destination,” explains Levey. MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 95

We Need To Talk It’s not just unruly teenagers and down-in-the-dumps millennials drinking themselves to death, but middleaged men – or, to put it another way, potentially you, digging your grave, one pint at a time. With an estimated 12% of us drinking too much, MH asks whether it’s time to have a quiet word… Words by RICHARD GODWIN and KIERAN LEGG – Photography by ROWAN FEE

96 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

About

14%

Dad

For every 12.5 units drunk above your weekly allowance, your stroke risk has been shown to increase by 14% (Lancet)

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 97

If you read the words “Drinkin Problem”, what image pops into your head? Is it a marauding band of rugby fans urinating in a public fountain? An intern in a soiled white shirt, waiting for his Uber while dozing off in a pool of his own vomit? A group of underage clubgoers flinging beer bottles from a balcony of a rooftop bar? What these words don't tend to conjure are well-groomed Generation X-ers pondering which case of Pinotage to pick up at the supermarket's wine section; a mother of toddlers pouring herself a craft gin and tonic once the kids have gone to bed; the working father slumped on the couch, snoring himself awake at 2am, before quietly sloping off to bed. According to the evidence, however, those are precisely some of the images that should spring to mind. The truth is that South Africans, at least SA men, have a very real drinking problem. While the majority of the country abstains from knocking back vino, brews and cocktails (for religious, health and personal reasons), the guys who do drink, well... we go all out. On average, guys in the country consume about 37.5 litres of pure alcohol every year, according to the World Health Organisation, making us some of the biggest drinkers in the world. And while it’s the millennials who are most at risk of 98 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

developing an alcohol problem, middle-aged men aren't exactly abstaining. At which point, we must take pause, because this is where we run into the first problem talking about alcohol use in SA. As a nation we find it very hard to take the subject seriously. Once you’ve moved beyond the cider and vodka phase and cultivated an appreciation for Franschoek reds and tripledistilled malts, it becomes rather more difficult to discern whether or not you have a problem. Perhaps you don’t. But maybe you do.

A Few Hard Truths

A study found a sharp increase in liver disease among those who drank 26 units per week or more (Gastroenterology & Hepatology)

“Why would I consume anything that leaves an awful taste in my mouth?”

THE GEN Z TAKE “A l o t o f p e o p l e c a n ’ t contemplate socialising w i t h o u t a l c o h o l .”

Peter Wallich, 20 “I don’t like the idea that you need to drug yourself and reduce your mental capacities in order to have fun. People turn to drink to make themselves feel socially competent, and then it becomes psychologically associated with their social competence and they can’t interact without it any more. That just seems a bit s i l l y t o m e .”

The South African Demographic and Health Survey (2016) helps shed light on our relentless boozing. Around 21.5% of millennial men who participated in the study showed signs of problem drinking. Among those aged 35-44, around 18.4% fell into the same category. And this alarming rate of binge- and problem drinking isn’t without its consequences. Alcohol-related

S e ke l a G a m a l o, 19 “ I d e c i d e d n e ve r to s m o ke b e ca u se i t ’s b a d fo r yo u a n d a d d i c t i ve, so I t h o u g h t i t ’d o n l y b e r i g h t to t a ke t h e s a m e a p p ro a c h to a l co h o l . I d o n’t l i ke t h e i d e a o f n ot b e i n g i n f u l l co n t ro l o f my b o d y. I ’ve a l so m e t a l ot o f sca r y d r u n ks, a n d I ’d ra t h e r n ot b e a ro u n d t h e m .”

“ I ’d p r e f e r t o s p e n d my money on more beneficial things, l i k e t r a v e l l i n g .”

Edward Rhys Jones, 19 “I never consciously decided not to drink – I just never enjoyed the experience. Shots made me feel like my gullet was being burned out, and beer tasted heavy a n d b i t t e r l i k e t a r, s o I just thought, ‘Why bother?’ It also means t h a t I ’m f i n a n c i a l l y b e t t e r o f f.”

deaths among men are reported at a much higher rate than among women. One reason being is that men are less likely to recognise their behaviour as harmful or choose to seek help. “Overall, men see their GP 32% less than women,” says Dr Sarah Jarvis, medical advisor to Drinkaware. “As a result, men in middle age are traditionally difficult to reach for many health interventions – including those related to alcohol use, blood pressure, cholesterol and weight.” Plus: “men are far more likely to exceed

low-risk drinking guidelines than women,” adds Jarvis. “And they’re much more likely to report binge drinking.” Low-risk (moderate) drinking is generously defined as no more than three standard drinks (i.e. three regular cans of beer) per day for men. So, why are men – especially middle-aged guys, who seem to have their lives together – hitting the bottle? Dan Wolf, a psychologist and the director of Houghton House Group of Treatment Centres, says there are a variety of reasons. “It could be work pressures, a response to the volatile economy, inability to deal with challenging relationships or the demands of the family.” Bottom line: “alcohol becomes a tranquilizer, a way to numb feelings of anxiety and stress. It's something to look forward to after a long day of work,” he explains. It could also be that drinking is entangled with traditionally masculine activities, such as watching sport, fishing, hunting, five-a-side. In SA, says Wolf, alcohol is dressed up as a sophisticated after-work indulgence that’s vital to these bonding experiences. It creates the perception

that if liquor were to be removed from the equation, you would feel deprived, not just of these cultural touchstones, but of that all-important ritualistic sip. And why should you give up drinking? You’re showing up at work on time, you’re meeting deadlines and you’re on your way to a promotion. Wolf says many “functional” alcoholics are still able to honour these work commitments. However, it’s an illusion. At home, the family dynamic is in turmoil. The functional drunk’s relationship with alcohol has superseded all others. Instead of spending time with his kids, he’s the dad who falls asleep on the couch after a few too many. He’s the guy who stops at the bar before heading home. He’s in a bad mood – and his wife and kids know it – until he’s poured (and downed) his first glass of red. “The family doesn’t have that predictability anymore,” says Wolf. “There’s no guarantee that the next time he drinks it’s just a contained experience. There’s always the risk that he goes off the deep end, the risk of a disaster that shames and humiliates the family.”

Of course, many guys have a healthy relationship with alcohol. Whether they have a drink, or not, it has no bearing on their lives. They don’t structure their lives around drinking. They’re not keeping tabs on the time to check if it’s finally five o’clock. But when you start planning around drinking hours, that may signal a deeper issue, says Wolf. “Are you thinking about what time you’ll start drinking? How many drinks you’ll have? Feel deprived, angry or sad when your plans to drink are derailed?” he says. “These are all concerning signs that someone is dependent on alcohol. "After all, you wouldn't be having these thoughts about, let's say, biltong, so what makes alcohol different?" he adds.

BREATHALYZER TEST Is it a drinking problem or just a harmless afterhours indulgence? Answer this 'yes-no' quiz and check the sobering results below. 1/ Ever felt you need to cut down on your drinking? Y / N 2/ Got annoyed at someone criticising your drinking? Y / N 3/ Had guilty feelings about drinking? Y / N 4 / Ta k e n a m o r n i n g e y e o p e n e r (i.e. had, or thought about having, a drink to calm your nerves for the day ahead)? Y/N Tw o o r m o r e “ y e s” a n s w e r s indicate the strong possibility of excessive drinking or alcoholism. The assessment has been tested and validated by numerous studies and specialists, but the results should not be taken at face value. Worried you have a drinking p r o b l e m ? I t ’s t i m e t o s p e a k t o a professional. Source: JAMA

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 99

It should be pointed out that South Africa’s youth do still drink. According to recent figures, 37% of those aged 20-24 admitted to having a drink (or two) in the last week. But the gradual shift away from shooters and mixers is still remarkable. Globally, Generation Z is drinking 20% less than Millennials, according to a 2018 Berenberg Research report; and around one third have chosen to abstain from drinking altogether. Even among those who imbibe, a conscious disregard to the potential harms of unshackled booze culture is no longer the norm. So what’s changed?

Generation Gap

Scott, 28, in many ways typifies this shift in attitude. A creeping sense that his drinking was getting out of hand prompted him to take a break from alcohol, and he now documents his teetotalism on Instagram as @theboywhodranktoo. “Until I gave up, I never realised how much drinking affected my life,” he says. “I didn’t go to the gym every day, as I’d ideally want to, and if I was hungover, I would eat terrible food. I’m sleeping better now, and the focus I have at work is so much better.” But doesn’t he miss it? “Do you know what? Having spent the best part of 10 years in the bar with my mates, there’s only so much shit you can talk without it becoming repetitive,” Scott says. He believes this self-awareness is even more pronounced in the generation following his. “I took up drinking, then I stopped,” says Scott. “But many of the teenagers I’ve spoken to simply aren’t starting.” As humans, we quickly adapt to social norms. When your colleagues go to the pub after work most days or enjoy a two-hour lunchbreak on Fridays, it sets a baseline against which having just the one pint, or maybe three, seems almost abstemious. Baby boomers and Generation X grew up in that environment. Generation Z did not. But while a more conscious approach to

drinking may be common among younger people, it’s clear that denial is prevalent among older men when it comes to their intake. It used to be teenagers pilfering bottles from the liquor cabinet and getting plastered on the sly. Now, in many families, the situation is reversed: the baby boomers are concealing their drinking from their adult children. A friend of mine has stopped leaving his kids with their grandparents, having frequently turned up to find the two of them – both of whom had extremely distinguished careers – slumped on the couch beside a few empty bottles of extremely distinguished wine. He has tried to confront his father, but with little success. (Let’s be honest: who among us has ever been able to get our fathers to admit fault?) Men of a certain age tend to be the ones with money. They tend to be the ones with fewer domestic responsibilities, too. And they tend to be prone to malodorous rants about the thin-skinned snowflakes and vegan boerewors rolls.

Habit of a Lifetime

Many hypotheses have been put forward to explain why young people drink less. One is that social media and smartphones simply demand too much of their attention; many of the rebellion-seeking, identityforming rites of passage that prior generations sought now take place online. Younger people might also have seen older generations’ bad habits and reacted against them. According to the Institute of Alcohol Studies, even children who witness “low-level parental drinking” can find the experience unpleasant and disruptive. But maybe we’re asking the wrong question. Maybe the decline of young people’s drinking isn’t the anomaly. Perhaps what we should be asking instead is why older generations still drink so much. Dr Tony Rao, of the Royal Institute of Psychiatrists, points to research indicating that baby boomers have a particular

“Men are far more likely to exceed drink guidelines”

100 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

struggle. “Problem-drinking habits have tended to follow them throughout their lives,” he says. This was the hope-I-die-before-I-get-old generation, who often defined themselves against the staid, restrained generation who came before them. “In a way, baby boomers haven’t really grown up,” says Rao. “I’m not sure they are going to change their habits.” One of the key areas of concern is drinkers who largely confine their habit to their homes, where it is more easily hidden. “As a population, one of the problems we have is the number of people who are currently functioning, yet drinking a lot more than is healthy for them. A lot of people feel proud that they can hold their drink, but the consequences can be dangerous. If we can persuade [that demographic] to decrease their alcohol levels by even one unit, the cumulative effect could be hugely significant.”

Man in the Mirror

As I consider all of this, I feel a slight pang. You might, too. Am I part of the cure, or am I part of the disease? At 37, it’s fairly rare that I am piss-in-the-sink pissed. I run! I swim! I write for Men’s Health! But by the same coin, it’s also fairly rare that I pass the day without drinking. And considering “binge drinking” is classed as eight units – that’s an Old Fashioned plus half a bottle of wine – well, I probably clear that two or three times a week. What can I say? I just like alcohol. I love the rituals, the history and the mystique. I love the conversation and connection and that feeling of warm conspiracy you get when you hit upon

17%

Among those drinking more than 14 units a week, each seven-unit increase causes a 17% rise in dementia risk (British Medical Journal)

Is it time to dissect your relationship with alcohol?

some scheme with fellow drinkers after a few units. Moreover, I’ve written an entire book about cocktails, The Spirits, which required me to compile about 250 recipes – and they didn’t test themselves. Consequently, my kitchen is currently home to at least 15 bottles of gin and enough other spirits, liqueurs and fortified wines that I can fix pretty much any cocktail you care to name. I’m not at intervention stage, but the situation is certainly suboptimal. I’ve snapped at my child, neglected my wife, shirked deadlines and deferred decisions because of alcohol. I put this to Jonathan Turner, 38, who has been blogging about his non-alcoholic odyssey since 2016. Turner is a project manager for an IT company and a member of the band Petrol Bastard, who were formed expressly to celebrate carousing. “We built the whole band around drinking and our following was all about drinking, too,” he explains. “Ever since I was 15, I’d been spending weekends pissed and weekdays hungover.” He says his drinking never got to dependency stage, but since giving up alcohol, everything in his life has improved. “I got married. I bought a house. I’ve done so much in these past three and a half years that I really should have done before. I’m not making all those small bad decisions: eat takeaway, stay up late, and so on.”

Glass Warfare

As he speaks, it becomes clearer to me why it is that young people drink so much less than their parents. It’s about decision-

NEW MEASURES You can’t mitigate a heavy drinking habit – but these habits could help you duck some harm, should your good intentions suffer a slip up

01\ Run for Your Life

High aerobic fitness can protect your liver against fatty deposits. A n h o u r ’s e x e r c i s e , f i v e days per week, can counteract many of the effects of hazardous drinking, reports UCL.

03\ Forget Your Weight

Waist-to-hip ratio is the smartest predictor of your liver-disease risk, report scientists in Sweden, with a ratio above 0.9 indicating potential problems. So, if in doubt, use a tape, not the scales, to assess your odds.

04\ Fall Back on Caffeine

As well as sharpening you up, coffee can shield your liver from a l c o h o l - i n d u c e d i n j u r y. I n a C a l i f o r n i a n s t u d y, subjects who drank four or more cups per day were 80% less likely to develop liver cirrhosis.

02\ Handle the Hangovers

Attempting to placate your throbbing head with paracetamol is nothing but a temporary salve. Daily use has been linked to kidney issues, while a Scientific Reports study found it also damages liver cells.

05\ Pick Your Days Off

The liver needs 48 hours to rejuvenate after a bout of boozing, says t h e B r i t i s h L i v e r Tr u s t . Fo r f u l l b e n e f i t , m a k e your non-drinking days consecutive, not sporadic.

making. Older people – and particularly men – grew up in a society that was moving forward and taking most people with it. They could afford to while away their evenings in the pub and spend their disposable income on imported Shiraz. They could, in short, make a few dubious decisions and get away with it. They have often carried that historic privilege into the best-paid and most secure positions, and they struggle to understand it isn’t like that for everyone. But since the financial crisis of 2008, we have been in the longest protracted peacetime decline in real earnings since the Napoleonic Wars. Job security is eroding. You can no longer just roll into the office, disappear for long lunches, clock off at 5pm and expect your salary to rise. Today, careers demand a lot more active thinking, and outward appearances matter far more than they did before. Young people are aware of this. I describe my situation to Jonathan: how I sometimes find myself absentmindedly mixing a cocktail while cooking my kid’s fish fingers; how I have become a total ninja at concealing my hangovers; how, for the past year or two, various things in my life have begun to slide, ever so slightly, and I’m beginning to wonder how connected that is to my relationship with alcohol. He says that many people have told him similar stories. “If you’re not yet sure whether you’re drinking too much, it helps to give yourself a bit of time off from alcohol and see how you feel,” he counsels. “That’s why I think initiatives such as Dry January and Sober October are a good idea. After taking that break, you might find that – even if you don’t necessarily have a problem – going without booze now and then gives you the edge.” The choice is not necessarily one between teetotalism and unrestrained self-gratification. But a more conscious approach could prove a lifesaver. MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 101

DIRTY SALADS FOR

HEALTHY APPETITES

FOR MANY, ATTEMPTING TO EAT CLEAN CAN MEAN SWINGING FROM MONASTIC RESTRAINT TO HEDONISM. JUMP OFF THE DIETARY SEE-SAW AND SAVOUR THE BEST OF BOTH: THESE SALADS ARE AS GLUTTONOUSLY SATISFYING AS THEY ARE REPLETE WITH NUTRITIOUS GOLD. TIME TO TURN OVER A NEW LEAF WORDS BY SCARLETT WRENCH – PHOTOGRAPHY BY LOUISA PARRY – FOOD STYLING BY IONA BLACKSHAW

If a bleeding animal burger represents the acme of “man food”, salads tend to signify the opposite. But at Men’s Health, we’re simply not having it: the idea that your menu order is in some way indicative of your character is a tired one. And yet... salads do still get a bad rap.

102 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

They’re side dishes, compromises, your penance for overindulgence – and likely to elicit eye-rolls from any colleague already a few mouthfuls deep into a chip roll with all the trimmings. We’re here to tell you that this is nonsense. With a little forethought and

flair, you can throw together a spring salad that’s toothsome, filling and on-point for your macro targets, too. We asked five leading chefs for mouth-watering recipes that will change your mind about salads, each bursting with flavour and freshness. Trust us, you won’t go hungry.

Spoon on extra PEAS: their vitamin K boosts fat loss

Cajun Cauli, Egg and Toast

Transform your post-work plate of vegetables into a decadent meal worth savouring. This colourful feast from the team at rustic eatery Brother Marcus sorts out your five a day in one hit

SERVES 4 A CAULIFLOWER, SLICED YELLOW ONION, ½, SLICED CAJUN SPICE, TO TASTE QUINOA , 250G MIELIE , 1 LIMES, 2, JUICE AND ZEST CORIANDER, LARGE PINCH, CHOPPED BEETROOT HUMMUS, 300G COOKED BEETROOTS, 8 SNAP PEAS, 200G GARDEN PEAS, 200G FREE-RANGE EGGS, 4, POACHED RUSTIC SOURDOUGH, 4 SLICES, TOASTED

METHOD

Bland ingredients make for drab salads. “We base our recipes on seasonal, local produce,” says chef Tasos Gaitanos. “It’s a natural way to add more flavour.” First, prep the cauliflower: it’s packed full of glucosinolates, which will bolster your liver’s defences after you’ve made a few too many pub-garden stop-offs. Pop it on a tray with the onion,

then sprinkle liberally with Cajun spice. Drizzle with oil and bake it at 180°C for 18 minutes. While the cauli cooks, prep the quinoa mix. Boil your mielie, char it on a hot griddle pan, then scrape off the kernels. Cook the quinoa as per pack instructions, then combine with the corn, lime juice and coriander in a bowl. Plate up as follows: use the hummus as the

creamy base, then add the cauli, followed by the quinoa mix and veg. If a stressful week has your hackles raised, the double beetroot hit will help to lower your blood pressure. Top each plate with a runny poached egg and serve with a slice of sourdough. “Liven it up with wild garlic, if you like,” says Gaitanos. You’ll have to wait for summer as that’s when it’s in season. MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 103

BBQ Pork Belly with Crispy Tofu

Your back-garden braai needn’t start and finish with burgers and buns. This fresh spin, from Patrick Williams at the Caribbean joint Soul Food, offers a more nutritious take on al fresco eating

PORK contains oleic acid, the heart-healthy fat found in olives

104 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

SERVES 4 PORK BELLY, 500G SMOKED PAPRIKA, 2TSP GROUND ALLSPICE, 2TSP A COURGETTE, THINLY SLICED AVOCADOS, 2, DICED CARROTS, 2, SLICED CUCUMBER, ½, SLICED WATERCRESS, BUNCH FLOUR, 2TBSP EXTRA FIRM TOFU, 300G, DICED FOR THE DRESSING: DIJON MUSTARD, 1TSP FLAXSEED OIL, 75ML A LIME, JUICED

METHOD

Bookmark this recipe for the next blistering Sunday. Pork belly may be something of a guilty pleasure – and rightly so – but most of its fats are of the healthier monounsaturated variety. Plus, it’s packed with B vitamins. Slice the meat into strips and marinate the night before in half of the spices, salt and pepper. When you’re ready to cook, fire up the Weber, ensuring you leave a “cool

zone”. Lightly brush the pork with oil, place it on the grill and close the lid. Cook for 10 minutes per side, then move to the cooler area until done to your liking. Place all of the sliced fruit and veg, including the courgette, in a bowl with salt and pepper. Courgettes are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, potassium and magnesium. Then, combine the flour with the remaining spices,

coat the tofu, then drop it in a hot pan with a dash of oil until crispy. When the pork is cool, slice it and add to the salad. Whisk the dressing ingredients together, then drizzle over everything. Top it all off with crispy tofu for an extra punch of protein.

DINNERWARE PLATES HABITAT.CO.UK

Crab Som Tam

This lean dish promises all of the sweetness and heat of your favourite Thai takeaway but with a more palatable macro balance. Tuck into this fragrant feast from Rick and Katie Toogood at the seafood restaurant Prawn on the Lawn

SERVES 4 LARGE CARROTS, 2, PEELED A GREEN PAPAYA OR CUCUMBER, PEELED GARLIC, 2TSP, CRUSHED MINT LEAVES, SMALL HANDFUL CORIANDER LEAVES, HANDFUL CHERRY TOMATOES, 8, HALVED AND SQUASHED SPRING ONIONS, 2, SLICED A RED CHILLI, DESEEDED AND FINELY SLICED WHITE CRAB MEAT, 150G PEANUTS, HANDFUL, CRUSHED FOR THE NAM JIM SAUCE: THAI FISH SAUCE, 1TBSP GINGER, 2TSP, CHOPPED LIMES, 2, JUICED

METHOD

Crafting abs in the kitchen should be a labour of love. “This dish has the typical balance of flavours found in Thai dishes: salty, sweet, sour, spicy – but it’s also very healthy,” says Rick Toogood. Using a mandoline, slice the carrots and vitamin C-packed papaya (or cucumber) into thin matchsticks. Place in a mixing bowl, add the garlic, then whisk up the nam jim sauce and pour it over. Purists add palm sugar, but this recipe gets its natural sweetness from the seafood, further

cutting carbs. Cover with cling film and store in the fridge for at least an hour to allow the flavours to infuse. When you’re ready to serve, remove the bowl from the fridge and add the mint, coriander, squashed tomatoes, spring onions and chilli. Mix thoroughly. Pile it onto a serving plate and top with the crab meat, an excellent source of mood-improving riboflavin and selenium, as well as testosterone-boosting zinc. Sprinkle the toasted peanuts on top and serve.

With a 10:1 protein-fat ratio, CRAB is worth a crack

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 105

LAMB’s 30g of protein will put a spring in your step

Roast Lamb, Potato and Cherry

After a tough session in the gym, you deserve a greater reward than a limp supermarket salad. Prep this recipe from chef Peter Gordon of fusion restaurant the Providores the night before, and break it out when you need it

106 MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

SERVES 4 LAMB RUMPS, 4 X 160G POTATOES, 300G A RED ONION, SLICED GARLIC, 6 CLOVES, SLICED OREGANO LEAVES, A LARGE PINCH CHERRIES, 16, HALVED BALSAMIC OR RED WINE VINEGAR, 2TBSP SALAD LEAVES, 2 HANDFULS

METHOD

The meat from grassfed lambs, in particular, is rich in weight-controlling omega-3 fatty acids. Heat the oven to 180°C and put a roasting dish in the middle. Score the lamb fat, then place the meat in a hot pan with a dash of oil, fat side down. Cook for five minutes, turning once, to render the fat and give the meat colour, then roast for 13-15 minutes.

While it cooks, boil the potatoes, drain and halve them. White spuds are stuffed with fastacting carbohydrates and rehydrating potassium, ideal after cardio. Fry the onion and garlic until caramelised, then add the potatoes, oregano and cherries to warm through. Season with salt and pepper, add a splash of the vinegar, then take it off the heat.

Fill your Tupperware with the salad leaves, then top with the potato and cherry mix. As well as adding a welcome hit of sweetness to your dish, cherries are among the most effective foods for reducing post-workout muscle inflammation. Finally, slice the roast lamb against the grain and place it on top. It’s a lunch that’s well worth working for.

Summer Caesar Deluxe

This twist on the classic salad will sate your cravings for salt and fat but won’t leave you lethargic. Best of all, it includes bacon – courtesy of Ben Tish, chef at the Stafford

SERVES 4 BABY GEM LETTUCE, 4 HEADS CHICKEN STOCK, 50ML DIJON MUSTARD, 1TSP THICK-CUT STREAKY BACON, 8 SLICES THYME LEAVES, 1TSP HONEY, 1TBSP A SLICE OF SOURDOUGH, TORN FRESH MAYONNAISE, 170ML SMOKED ANCHOVIES, A SMALL TIN AGED PARMESAN CHEESE, 100G

METHOD

Greens are good for more than just bulking up your plate. Pick the outer leaves of the lettuce and wilt them in a saucepan with a dash of oil and some seasoning. Pluck them out while they’re still green and blend with the stock and mustard. Next up, the rashers. Put the bacon on a baking tray and grill in the oven until they start to colour, then top with the thyme

and honey. Finish for another minute or so. “The salty bacon works wonders with the sweet honey and the fragrant thyme,” says Tish. Toss the sourdough pieces – a source of slowburning carbs – with oil and seasoning, then bake in an oven at 180°C for 10 minutes. Blitz the mayo along with four pieces of anchovy. Fresh mayo, made with extravirgin olive oil and egg yolk, can be an excellent

source of healthy fats, while anchovies are rich in energy-lifting niacin. Dress the remaining baby gem leaves with the mayo. To assemble, divide the blended greens into four bowls, then top with the dressed leaves, bacon, croutons, anchovies and Parmesan shavings, for cheat-day flavour with minimal drawbacks. Best served in the garden alongside a chilled glass of… well, anything.

Compounds in aged CHEESE are linked to higher life expectancy

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 107

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STYLE Investment

PATH

FINDER

A bold fragrance can make every day feel like a new adventure.

MONTBLANC EXPLORER EDP R1 395 100ML ALL RETAILERS

BY AZEEZ JACOBS

PHOTOGRAPH: MONTBLANC (SUPPLIED)

Elegant, charismatic and timeless; Montblanc might be known for their exquisite travel-proof writing instruments, high-quality leather goods and elegant timepieces, but unlike these high-priced items, the Explorer fragrance is an accessible investment accessory that lets every man tap into his own sense of adventure – and smell enticing every day. Montblanc embodies the values of the modern-day adventurer: the desire for new experiences and the exquisite scents of exotic destinations. The fragrance house enlisted three Givaudan perfumers each to focus on an individual ingredient from one part of the world – bergamot from Italy, vetiver from Haiti and patchouli from Indonesia. Each ingredient creates this woody aromatic scent that begins with a fresh, citrusy burst of excitement, and settles into a warm, intoxicating musky aroma. What you get: a world tour with just one spritz – as will anyone else who gets close. Plus, that attractive glass bottle wrapped in the iconic Saffiano motif is the perfect, stylish curio for your bathroom shelf.

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

NATURAL L

SUMMER SLACKS Chinos are, without a doubt, the most versatile pants a man can own. Forget your old man’s unflattering boxy chinos; the modern pair is lightweight, slim-fitted and versatile. Look for a pair made using a stretch fabric – that’ll give you the flexibility to keep moving during the day. Slim-fit chinos are the most flattering for all body types, creating a sleek silhouette by tapering at the ankles while still leaving breathing room around the thigh area. Stick to brown, beige or green to give them added mix-and-match mileage. Scarf R299 Zara, Linen Shirt R529 H&M, Dale Web Belt R469 Pringle of Scotland, Zanetti Chinos R499 Soviet.

Time to leave grey and navy in the shade – this is the season of earthy colours. BY AZEEZ JACOBS PHOTOGR APHY BY JUSTIN DINGWALL

FORCE S

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

STY E

MILITARY MIX Camo is more versatile than you think. It’s easy to combine with other shades but also stands on its own merits. Recently, camo has become a staple for the world’s best athletes, actors and rappers – now, you too, can follow suit. Your move: combo this pattern with vintage military apparel. Havana Sunglasses R3 890 Persols at Sunglass Hut, Flat collar shirt R579 Zara, Slim Chinos R1 299 Superdry.

The mercury is rising and that’s your signal to kick dark, wintery staples to the curb. Don’t worry: we’ve picked out six major trends in menswear to help you simplify your shopping list and streamline your wardrobe this spring. The bottom line: staying stylish this season is going to be a breeze.

MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

TONAL LAYERING Sure, the all-black look is still popular, but tonal layering using other, brighter colours will help you stand out this season. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spring, so opting for a layered outfit will let you shed said layers (or throw them back on) as temps shift throughout the day. Just make sure each layer is in a different shade of the same colour. Beige is a great place to start. Combine with a stone crop jacket and stone jeans to achieve a cohesive look. Eisenhower Jacket R599 Dickies, Funduzi Accra Collared Shirt R1 199 at Space Man, Jeans R329 H&M, Viper Hi-Tops R249 Soviet

OFF THE CUFF

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MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019

STYLEE

SHADES OF WHITE Yes, white jeans are back on the menu, but go for a slightly off-white pair for a more hard-wearing look. If you get them dirty, they’ll still look cool – probably even cooler. Treat these pants like what they are: the ultimate basic. Sub them into a look you’ve already planned, switch them for khakis in your khakis-andblazer ensemble or pair with a polo and sleek sneakers for a night out on the town. D Malley Gianca Jacket R6 899 Diesel, T-Shirt R359 Zara, Jeans R679 Zara, Ying & Yang Hi-Tops R1 299 Converse

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One of the fly-est, fittest influencers on Instagram shows you how to take athleisure to the next level.

URBA

BY AZEEZ JACOBS PHOTOGRAPHS BY G A R R E T H B A R C L AY

STYLE PREP WORK

In the US, the varsity jacket is earned through athletic glory, and usually found draped ceremoniously on the shoulders of a cheerleader. We may not have the same traditions, but we still dig its iconic style and its nod to classic Americana. Now, adidas has created stylish reinterpretations of the vintage varsity jacket. The sporty edge of this trend makes it an easy look for guys to adopt. The trick is to avoid doubling down on the “prom king” look. Instead, wear styles with a modern silhouette and unexpected details. We suggest flexing your sartorial muscles with something a little more understated. VRCT Jacket R1 599 adidas, Krooley CB-NE Jogger Jeans R5 799 Diesel, Rivalry RM LOW sneakers R1 899 adidas

TIP:

These have the retro vibe you want in classic sweatpants, but are updated with a slimmer fit that works for brunch, the bar and the bench press.

TRACK STAR

The new generation of sweatpants are meant to be worn everywhere and anywhere; they’re trimmer, slimmer and more akin to skinny jeans than the baggy standard-issue styles you wore during P.E. Of course, you can’t just slip on any old pair of comfy pants. Look for styles that are tapered at the ankle or have a cuff instead of a straight hem. Grey is a classic colour, but you can opt for more modern interpretations and dress them up with a denim jacket or golfer.

FASHION ASSISTANT NADIA EKSTEEN, GROOMER TERI AT ONE LEAGUE

City Shield Slim Jacket R3 999 G-Star RAW, Vest R599 Superdry, Sweatpants R1 699 Superdry, Gel-Kayano 5 360 Sneakers R2 500 ASICS at Archive.

FREE RUNNER

Kundai Murapa is a personal trainer, stunt performer and director of Cape Town-based parkour crew Sabotage Elite Freerunning. Follow him @kundaimurapa MH.CO.ZA/ October 2019 13

S STYLE

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T TO

GYM BAAG

Easy Lifts The brid dge between the technical and the everyday isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen ning just in our wardrobes. Even your standarrd duffel is getting an upgrade. From ha ard-wearing workho orses designed with city commuters in mind to sleek businesss-casual holdallss, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier than ever to pick a bag tha at matches not just you ur style, but your life estyle, too. Matthew Cylinder Duffel R2 R 699 Calvin Klein, Sport S Kit Bag R1 499 9 Superdry, MYMB Nightflight Duffel R10 R 200 Montblanc

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Complete your outfit with these sporty-cool accessories. BY AZEEZ JACOBS

SEAFARER - MID BROWN LEATHER

Photograph: Rudi Geyser/Hero Creative Management; Model: Yannick @ Boss; Hair and make-up: Alice Coloriti/ Supernova Creative Management; Fashion: Robin-Jade Carolus; Shirt, Trenery; Jeans, Country Road.

Logo Shades Want to get in on the logo trend? These modern black frames are ahead of the curve. Plus, the D&G emblem on the temples is the perfect finishing touch. DG Logo Sunglasses R2 590 Dolce & Gabbana, Sunglass Hut

SUNGLASSES Classic Wayfarers This iconic frame features a sleek take on a timeless vintage style. Havana Sunglasses R5 470 Montblanc

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Shades for Days A good pair of sunglasses is the most important style investment to make this season. The right pair of shades will not only protect your eyes from harmful UV rays, but will also give your outfit that badass edge (even if you’re wearing just a simple T-shirt and shorts). Pro tip: you should pick frames that balance out your facial features. If you have a square, angular face, for example, opt for circular lenses; but if you have a round face, angular frames look stronger. If you’re blessed with an oval face – lucky you – pretty much any frame will do. These are our favourite styles this summer.

PHOTOGRAPHY: LIZA DE KOCK; STYLING: NADIA EKSTEEN

Round Frames Spending time near water this summer? Protect your eyes (in style) with a pair of polarised sunnies. These lenses are designed to bust annoying glare caused by reflected light, giving you the full view – whether you’re lounging by the lake or soaking it in starboard side. Even Keel Sunglasses R4 320 Maui Jim

STYLE WATCHES Winning Stripes There’s movement, as in the mechanism that powers a watch’s timekeeping ability – many options there. And then there’s movement, as in speedy, racinginspired style, which only a bold face and a striped fabric band can give a watch. From top: Black Bay GMT R51 800 by Tudor 011 784 9230; Pan Europ Auto R15 700 by Hamilton Swatch 011 911 1200; PRT AW7038-04L R2 500 by Citizen; Recraft Series Citizenwatch.com R5 320 by Seikousa. com; Formula 1 R23 000 by TAG Heuer Boutique 021 421 8539.

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THE

LATE SHIFT

Masking Effect Infused with fountain plant, glacial proteins and desert plant extract, this overnight face mask helps smooth and soften skin while you sleep. No need to approach the bathroom mirror with caution – it will leave your skin refreshed, soft and supple by morning. And it has staying power, too – Imperata Cylindrica’s roots contain high concentrations of potassium, which is known to provide immediate and lasting hydration for dry skin. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Overnight Hydrating Masque 125ml R550 edgars.co.za

Bag Drop Noticed a crease that doesn’t go away when you stop smiling? Take the fight to Father Time with a revitalising balm that combats the first signs of wrinkles and crow’s feet. This anti-wrinkle eye contour cream lifts and firms to restore brightness and vitality. Apply the balm every night. The non-greasy texture delivers a fresh, matte finish that feels comfortable. Clarins Men Paris Line-Control Eye Balm 20ml R480 clarins.co.za

Night Rider Long night on the cards? This moulding paste is designed to deliver rough, matte texture to enhance short or choppy hairstyles. It helps seal in moisture to prevent hair breakage, and makes hair appear healthier and full of shine. Rub a small amount between your palms and distribute evenly through damp or dry hair before a big night out. Kevin.Murphy Night.Rider Textured Paste 100g R550 everythinghair.co.za

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Smooth Operator Resveratrol B E is a night treatment that combines a maximised concentration of 1% pure, stable resveratrol synergistically enhanced with 0.5% baicalin and 1% pure vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) for optimised anti-aging antioxidant performance. In other words, it makes you look younger. Score. This patented antioxidant cocktail neutralises free radicals, supports your skin’s natural antioxidant defenses and reveals visible radiance and firmness. Skin Ceuticals Resveratrol B E 30ml R2 515 dermastore.co.za

STYLE

Always behind the clock? Shave minutes off your morning ablutions and make smarter use of the night, with these nocturnal grooming products that’ll go to work when you’re fast asleep. Your boss can thank us later.

Where to Buy

BY AZEEZ JACOBS

PHOTOGRAPHY: LIZA DE KOCK; STYLING: NADIA WINDT

Dual Combat The Leatherman of face products, Sorbet Man 2-in-1 Face Wash & Scrub is a refreshing multipurpose facial cleanser made with biodegradable beads that invigorate tired, lacklustre skin. Its cooling aqua and menthol formulation energises and oxygenates the skin, while cleaning and exfoliating, too. Sorbet Man 2-in-1 Face Wash & Scrub 150ml R79 clicks.co.za

Bring Your A Game All Sk.in Bounce products are designed to deliver an all-in-one shot to counteract the signs of UV sun damage and skin ageing. It’s specifically designed for all skin types to improve skin texture and hydration, reduce pore size, increase collagen production and reduce signs of fine lines and wrinkles. The result: you’ll look rugged, not haggard. Sk.in Bounce Combo Shot 30ml R1 800 skiningredients.com

Midnight Feast It’s a dual-action overnight peel and serum that exfoliates and refines skin texture. It also promotes skin cell renewal and plumps up even the deepest wrinkles so you look and feel youthful in the morning. Eucerin Hyaluron Filler Night Peeling & Serum 30ml R500 clicks.co.za

ADIDAS ORIGINAL 021 421 8272 ASICS 021 300 7710 BACHER & CO 011372 6000 CALVIN KLEIN 0214181185 CONVERSE 087 940 4600 CITIZEN: CITIZENWATCH. COM DICKIES 087 940 4664 DUCA DEL COSMA DUCADELCOSMA. CO.ZA DIESEL 011 630 4000 EDGARS: EDGARS.CO.ZA 0860 692 274 FUNDUZI AT SPACE MAN 011 327 3640 G-STAR RAW 021 418 9000 HAMILTON: SWATCH 011 911 1200 H&M 021 826 7300 LUXOTTICA 0861 486 100 MAUI JIM 010 015 1500 MARKHAM.CO.ZA MONTBLANC 021 421 5015 PRINGLE OF SCOTLAND 021 555 3377 SEIKO SEIKOUSA.COM SUPERDRY 011 784 5739 SUNGLASS HUT 086 100 0850 SOVIET 021 462 6188 TAG HEUER TAG HEUER BOUTIQUE 021 421 8539 TUDOR 011 784 9230 WOOLWORTHS 0860 022 002 ZARA 021 446 8700