Build Your

BEST
BODY
NOW!

STRONGER
& FASTER!

JOE

MANGANIELLOS

AMAZING
NEW
PLAN

*
*
*

INCREDIBLE
SEXTONIGHT!

247

SMART
NUTRITION, HEALTH
& STYLE HACKS

FLATBELLY
BURGERS
& BEER
(Were serious!)
Joe Manganiello wears
John Varvatos; Watch: Luminox

TAILORED TO MOVE

STAY INSPIRED EARN REWARDS

Download the MyNB app and start earning.
www.newbalance.com

OUR PINNACLE IN CUSHIONING

Designed directly from the data
of runners like you.

Features
68 Joe Manganiello:
The Man Behind
the Muscle
Everyones favorite
werewolf turned strippers got a new wife,
a new movie, and a
staggering new set of
fitness goals.

98 The Case
for Beer
New Belgium Brewing
Companys ultrafit
employees prove
that a few cold ones
wont derail your
strength gains.
BY ERIC BENSON

BY JASON ADAMS

74 Saddle Up!
We picked the best new
bikesand the best new
gearfor burning up the
open road, shredding
down single tracks, or
simply cruising your
way to work.
BY PETER KOCH

82 The Battle to Be
Wright Again
After a diagnosis of
spinal stenosis, Mets
captain David Wright
learns how to playand
prepfor baseball all
over again.

105 Ask
Mens Fitness
How can you hide treasures from a burglar?
Not strike out with a
date? Go sockless on
the job? Try something
kinky in the sack?
Weve got the answers
to these and other
intriguing questions.

Putting on the
right blazer makes
me feel stronger
like Im here to get
shit done.

BY RON BERLER

86 The Next
Burger Boom!
Spicy turkey. Blackbean veggie. Pork
and shrimp dim sum.
We show you how
to cook up the most
adventurous abfriendly burgers ever.
BY NILS BERNSTEIN

92 Trailblazers
Blake Jenner, star of the
new baseball comedy
Everybody Wants
Some, shows how to
rock a navy blazer for
every occasion.
BY J O H N M AT H E R

Breakthroughs
19 Top News
Sex at the gym! What,
you didnt know?

20 Fitness
When to eat carbs to
burn more fat; and
genius problem
solvers for workout
dilemmas.

Nutrition
Is your smoothie a
sugar bomb?

Brain
Men like their women
smartor do they?

26 Style
Pulling off a bright belt.

Health
Your dog really loves
you. But that cat
ON THE COVER

JOE MANGANIELLO
PHOTOGRAPH:

Blazer:
JOSEPH ABBOUD
Hoodie:
VINCE CAMUTO
Jeans: J BRAND
Sneakers: FRYE

Peter Yang

Anna Bernabe
/Exclusive Artists using
Kevin Murphy and Armani
Beauty
Shirt: John Varvatos
Watch: Citizen

GROOMING:

JEFF LIPSKY

April
Game Changers
31

36

40

The Body Book

50

Columns
62

114

52

64

118
54

Regulars

124

10

42

12

56

16

46

126

135
136

48

60
128

74

#PartyWithBuffalo @BuffaloJeans

AVAILABLE AT LORD & TAYLOR

BuffaloJeans.com

Fitness on the go

This month on

MensFitness.com

GO DIGITAL
Q Download our interactive
edition (with bonus content!) on
iTunes, or buy a digital copy at
Amazon or Google Play.

Nine moves
for great abs.
The best dumbbell
exercises to build
you a six-pack.

The Spring Trim-Up

Six full days of fat-burning
workouts.
mensfitness.com/trimup

Youre Grossing Her Out

Ten ways to clean up your act.
mensfitness.com/springcleaning

HEADING OFF
ON A BIG TRIP?
Q Check out our other editions,
published in the U.K., Australia,
Germany, and Saudi Arabia.

Get the app

JOE MANGANIELLO
Q

5 Ways to Eat Better Now

Fresh-right-now foods that fight
off belly fat.
mensfitness.com/foodsforabs

GO LEAN
Q

The industrys best new running

shoesthey even go to the office!
mensfitness.com/laceup

Live a Little!
Explore, party, or chilladventure
trips for every man at any age.
mensfitness.com/bookit

10

MENS FITNESS

WORTH A SHOT
Q

C H R I S T O P H E R T E S TA N I

E xercise: James Michelfelder

Run for It

View from the top

No rules
allowed

Ever since high school, youve been

told that success is about making
choices. People ask, What do you
want to do with your life? The undercurrents always clear: Youve got to
make a decision and stick with it, because focusing narrowly on what you
want to be is the only path to prosperity. Heres your lane, sonstay in it,
bear down, and youll make it. But the truth is, rules like that are made
up by people who need them so they dont feel scared. Ignore them. As a
guy whos had half a dozen careers (at least) in my life, I can tell you this:
You dont have to decide what you want out of life. You can have it all. You
can make big money and pursue creative passions. You can have an
engaging career and raise a terrific family. You can reach a certain level
of achievement, then pivot into something else, even if it feels dangerous
to do so. Pursuing your dreamsevery single one of themis what
matters, and its OK if they dont all fit neatly into the same box.

Staying in the game.

Is it the third out for
injury-prone Mets
player David Wright?
Not if he has anything
to do with it.

For example, do you want to be

a beer-drinking, fun-loving party
guy or a serious and focused fitness fanatic? Both worthy passionsbut they seem mutually
exclusive, yes? Well, maybe not.
Take the case of the ultrafit
athletes who also happen to
run Colorados New Belgium
Brewing Company: Using their
alpha ingenuity, theyve figured
out how to turn beer into not just
an allowable indulgence (even
midexercise!) but a critical part of their post-workout
recovery. They enjoy both fit bodies and great beer
because they believe its possible. And in case youre
wonderingyes, theyre about as ridiculously ripped
as they could possibly be, suds or no. So if youd like to
look like a real man but still party like one, this piece
(page 98) is a must-read.
And if youre clever, you dont have to give up juicy,
delicious burgers to stay in shape, either. It sounds
too good to be true, but for The Next Burger Boom!
(page 86), our editors tested and tasted myriad versions to come up with fast, easy recipes that cut grease
but also bump up the flavor, so youll never have
to decide between indulging your burger lust and
expanding your gut.
One final story to inspire you: that of New York Mets
third baseman David Wright. At the start of last season, Wright strained a hamstring and ended up on the
disabled list for 15 days. Then, last May, he received a
diagnosis of spinal stenosisa narrowing of the spinal
canal that can cause immobilizing lower-back pain
and spent another 60 days on the DL. So did he quit?
Not on your life. Instead of accepting a choice between
taking care of his body and playing the game he loves,
he dedicated himself to doing bothand ended up
leading his team to its first World Series in 15 years. To
learn about his grueling training routine, go to page 82.
Enjoy the issue.

David J. Pecker
Chairman, President, and
Chief Executive Oicer
of American Media, Inc.
JOSH RITCHIE

Advisory Board
SOMETIMES, EVEN WE NEED ADVICE. HERES WHO WE ASK.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

EVP/GROUP PUBLISHER

STRENGTH TRAINING

FOOD

M O T I VAT I O N

John Rasmus

David Jackson

CJ Murphy, M.F.S.
Owner, Total Performance
Sports, Everett, MA

Danny Boome Celebrity

chef, currently on Good Food
America for Veria Living

Martin E. Ford, Ph.D.

Professor of education,
George Mason University

EDITORIAL

ADVERTISING SALES

Candice Kumai Author,

Clean Green Drinks,
candicekumai.com

Jim Smith, C.S.C.S.

Owner, Diesel Strength &
Conditioning
Zach Even-Esh
Owner, Underground
Strength Gym, Edison, NJ
Ben Bruno Personal
trainer, Los Angeles,
benbruno.com

Devin Alexander Celebrity

chef; host, PBSs Americas
Chefs on Tour; New York
Times best-selling author

SPORTS NUTRITION

Shelby Starnes IFBB

bodybuilder; owner,
shelbystarnes.com
Nate Miyaki, C.S.S.N.
Owner, natemiyaki.com

FINANCE

R E L AT I O N S H I P S

Roy Cohen Career counselor; author, The Wall Street

Professionals Survival
Guide; careercoachny.com

Tammy Nelson, Ph.D.

Certified sex therapist,
New Haven, CT

Chris Bart, Ph.D. Business

consultant; author, A Tale of
Two Employees

WEIGHT LOSS

Bob Harper Fitness expert;

best-selling author of
Jumpstart to Skinny; trainer,
NBCs The Biggest Loser

GROOMING

Anthony Sosnick Founder,

Anthony grooming brand
Israel Leon Master barber,
The Art of Shaving, NYC
Annet King, Director
of global education, the
International Dermal Institute
and Dermalogica
ENDURANCE

Pete Jacobs 2012 Ironman

world champion, Sydney,
Australia

4 New York Plaza, 4th Fl.,

New York, NY 10004,
212-545-4800

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SPORTS PERFORMANCE

Jason Ferruggia Owner,

jasonferruggia.com

Chris Powell, C.S.C.S.

Trainer; author; transformation specialist, ABCs
Extreme Weight Loss
Frank G. Bottone Jr.,
Ph.D., R.D. Author, The
Diet Denominator: Fill Your
Tank for Less

EASTERN SALES OFFICE

GALVANIZED BRANDS, LLC

Michael Aaron, Ph.D.

Certified sex therapist
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drmichaelaaronnyc.com
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and sex therapist, New
York City

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EDITORIAL INTERNS James Maio,

Dan Trink, C.S.C.S.

Owner, Trink Fitness
Jon Hinds Owner, Monkey
Bar Gym, Madison, WI
Kevin Lilly Former D1
football player; trainer of
actors and athletes in L.A.
NUTRITION

Angela Lemond, R.D.N.

Owner, Lemond Nutrition;
spokesperson, American
Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics
Elizabeth M. Ward, M.S.,
R.D.N. Award-winning
writer, nutrition consultant,
spokesperson

W I L D E R N E S S S U RV I VA L

Thomas Coyne, E.M.T.

President, Survival Training
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READY WHEN
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Fitness on the go

Adventure calendar
A L L T H E T H I N G S T O D O T H I S M O N T H I N T H E G R E AT O U T D O O R S

APRIL 9

APRIL 10

Paris-Roubaix
Challenge

Ski the Corn Snow

COMPIGNE, FRANCE

Q The day before the

pros take on the bonerattling cobblestones
of Frances famed Hell
of the North, amateur
cyclists can brave
the muddy, rugged
100-some-mile course
from Compigne to the
Roubaix Veldrome.
As you curse through
30-plus jarring miles,
take heart in knowing
that aid stations are
quintessentially French
(think: Belgian waffles with your fruit) and
that, at the end, theres
beer and wine to wash
the mud off your teeth.

Q As ski season ends

in the Rockies, lift lines
vanish, warmer days
feature a mix of powder and corn, and
spring parties definitely heat up. Maybe
the biggest bash in Colorado ski country is the
annual Spring Back to
Vail, with a live concert, a mountain luau,
and the outrageous
World Pond Skimming
Championships all on
closing day. Start the
a.m. with powder, arc
through velvety corn in
the afternoon, then bid
farewell to winter with
a drink in hand at dusk.

sport.be/parisroubaix

vail.com

L AT E A P R I L

APRIL 23

Run the North Stan

French Broad
River Classique

ARNOLD, CA

VA I L , C O

ASHEVILLE, NC

Q In early spring,
snowmelt and rains
swell the North Fork
of the Stanislaus River
from a mere trickle to
a pulse-pounding
rafters delight, with
many of the Sierras
most technical Class
III-V rapids flowing
beneath a canopy of
towering pine, fir, and
giant sequoia trees.
The magic lasts only a
few weeks, even in a
good yeardroughts
impacted the river the
past two seasonsbut
recent El Nio conditions are setting up a
potentially wild ride.

Q Now in its seventh

year, the French Broad
Classique draws paddlers worldwide for
one of two downriver
races: a hard-charging
18-miler and a more
daredevil 50-miler that
takes all day to finish.
Whichever you choose,
itll be a gorgeous
spring day on the swiftflowing French Broad,
its dark, ancient waters
set against bright green
leaves and flowering
dogwoods. At takeout,
at the Asheville Outdoor Center, a picnic
and craft beer await.

aorafting.com

fbcanoeracing.org

Eric Odenthal / Red Rock Rendezvous

APRIL 13

Red Rock Rendezvous

C A N YO N N AT I O N A L C O N S E RVAT I O N A R E A , N V

Thousands of climbers flock to this

Nevada conservation area to celebrate
the climbing life with expert-led, onthe-rock workshops and all-night parties. When
youre not on the rock, go slacklining, mountain
biking, and trail runningor just lose yourself in
the festival atmosphere while rubbing elbows
with climbing royalty like Hans Florine, Dawn
Glanc, and Peter Croft. redrockrendezvous.com
16

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

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IS IT HOT
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MENS FITNESS

19

Workout
problem
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Genius new products
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Take the bulls-eye off your back.

That crazy-bright light on the
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Want to Burn More

Fat? Heres When
to Eat Your Carbs.

20

MENS FITNESS

Exercise
Now (or Be an
Aching Old
Geezer Later)

APRIL 2016

study author Adam

Collins, Ph.D., theres
ample evidence that
for men, working out
withoutcarbs leads
to greater adaptation
of the muscle to
burn fat.
To get your incinerator turned up
high, have a fruit
salad or bagelboth
carb heavybefore
your post-workout
protein shake.
QSimply exercising really can help you avoid the
kind of lower back pain your dad swears is keeping
him La-Z-Boyd up for 13 hours a day.
Back pain, one of the biggest causes of doctor
visits and missed work, the NIH reports, eventually
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But you dont have to be one of them: Simply working out can reduce the chance of developing lower
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Strengthening your abs is the No. 1 way to keep
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Q Theres a best
time to eat carbs to
get max fat burning
from your workout
and believe it or
not, when it is may
well depend on
your sex.
A study at Englands U. of Surrey
found that when
guys ate carbs
after exercise, they
torched more fat in
the three hours postworkout than if they
ate carbs before; for
women it was just
the opposite.
To confirm
the results, the
researchers then
teamed up with BBC
show Trust Me, Im a
Doctor to rerun the
study. This time, the
male and female

subjects took three

exercise classes
Zumba, HIIT, and
spinninga week for
a month and drank a
carb-loaded concoction before or after
each workout.
And again: Guys
who got their carbs
after training and
women who got
them before burned
more fat.
According to

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Get Your
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Q Time to tie on the
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If you dont get
enough fiber now,
you risk dangerous
even irreversible
weight, gut, and
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you age, says a Stanford U. study on four
generations of mice.
A low-fiber regimenlike our own
Western diet, with
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harmful because,
if the guts beneficial germs dont get
enough fiber to eat
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recover, even if more
fiber is added later.
Get about 30g of
fiber a day, the NIH
advises, from whole
foods like leafy
greens, beans, and
nuts. Other ways to
sneak it in: Have a
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(3g/3 cups); add flax
(3g/1 tbsp) or an avocado (9g) to salad;
and eat brown rice
(4g/1 cup), not white.

JARREN VINK

Danger:
smoothie ahead
Bombshell: Smoothies from stores and fastfood joints can actually rivalor surpassthe
calories in a Big Mac and sugar in a regular
soda, a new survey has disclosed. Though
the original data was dug up by Australias LiveLighter
health program, we did some snooping right here in
the U.S. and found similar mind-blowing stats. For
example, while a Big Mac (named Mickey Ds No. 1 Best
Main Item by healthy-eating guide Eat This, Not That!)
has 540 calories/9g of sugar, and a 21-oz Coke has 200
calories/55g of sugar, Smoothie Kings 20-oz Pia
Colada Island Smoothie has 600 calories/98g of sugar.
And theres more where that came from, like Planet
Smoothies 22-oz PBJ Smoothie, with 710 calories/64g of
sugar, andif youre going really bigDQs 25-oz Tripleberry Smoothie, with 480 calories and a whopping 105g
of sugar. McDs own 16-oz Mango Pineapple Smoothie
is a bit better (260 cal/56g sugar),
as are Naked Juices 15.2-oz Double
FOR MORE
Berry (420 cal/55g sugar) and StarGREAT NUTRITION TIPS,
bucks 16-oz Strawberry Smoothie
GO TO MENS
FITNESS.COM.
with 2% milk (300 cal/41g sugar).

Silk.com / SharetheGoodness

EVEN TODAY, A

CAN THREATEN
HIS EGO (PRESENT
COMPANY
EXCLUDED, OF
COURSE).
Stop and smell
the dishes?

Heres your
chance to look Q
really smart

QThe crime drama

you watch can
change how you
think about rape and
sexual assault.
Researchers questioned 313 university freshmen about
their views on rape,
consent, and refusing sex, then asked
which crime shows
they liked, the Journal of Health Communication reports.
Among fans of
the top-three crime
showsLaw & Order,
CSI, and NCISthose

who watched Law

& Order the most
were the least likely
to believe rape
myths, such as the
idea that a woman
whos raped is at
least partly responsible for it. Law &
Order lovers were
also better at negotiating consent and

24

APRIL 2016

MENS FITNESS

refusing unwanted
sexual advances.
Some shows, like
CSI, reinforce rape
myths, with story
lines such as someone being assaulted
after leaving her
window unlocked,
or drugged after
leaving a drink
unattended, says

the studys Stacey

Hust, Ph.D.
Not Law & Order,
however, and
because it also
shows criminals
being punished
which is rare on TV,
Hust saysthat may
influence viewers
to avoid predatory
behavior.

Face-to-face
is tough to replace
QHold the phone! Inperson contact is the only
type of interaction that
beats depression.
Oregon Health &
Science U. researchers
studied data on 11,000plus adults ages 50 and
over whod been asked
how often they communicated with family
and friends through
get-togethers, calls,
letters, and e-mails.
Those who saw loved
ones in person at least
three times a week had
just a 6.5% chance of being
diagnosed with clinical
depression, but those who
got in-person contact only
every few months or less
had an 11.5% chance.
Go visit your people.

F r o m t o p : E r i c F r i d e e n / Tr u n k A r c h i v e ; C h r i s t i a n B l a n c h a r d / T h e L i c e n s i n g P r o j e c t

Law & Order: C.R.U.

(ConsciousnessRaising Unit)

Men say they want to meet smart womenuntil they

actually meet them. Thats the upshot of a study in
the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin that has
women everywhere sighing, Jeez, whats up with you
guys? In the first part of the study, men either 1) read
about women whod scored higher or lower on a test than a random guy, or
2) took a (fake) IQ test, then were asked if theyd like to meet women whod
scored better or worse than they had. In both cases, most said theyd like to
meeteven datethe smarter women. But later in the study, guys met the
woman first, rated her on attractiveness, took a math test with her at the
next deskthen learned her score. Result: If shed beat him, most guys
showed signs of feeling threateneddistancing themselves (even
moving their chairs away!), rating her suddenly less attractive, and losing
interest in dating. This would never happen to you, of coursebut in
case youve got an insecure buddy: If a guy truly wants someone smart,
says the studys Lora Park, Ph.D., he can support her accomplishments
and respond by being impressed rather than feeling threatenedits a
win-win. Thats if heyour buddyis up to the challenge. J A M E S R O S E N T H A L

Q Applying mindfulness
to even simple everyday
tasks can reduce stress,
say Florida State U.
researchers who asked
students to wash dishes
after instructing them on
how to take a thoughtful
approach to the task.
When the dishes were
done, the students who
took the advice felt 25%
more inspired and 27%
less nervous, while the
researchers who gave
the advice felt 100% smug
about not having to wash
any dishes at all (or so
wed imagine).
The study was
presented in the journal
Mindfulness.

Belt: ORIGINAL
PENGUIN
Suit: SAMUELSOHN
Want it?
See page 135.

Breakthroughs

The bold &

the buckled

Q

QLike the Capitol

forcing young
Tributes into a
death match till one
emerges victorious, each year the
Pantone Color Institute pits the worlds
young hues against
each other till one

(a color snapshot of
what we see taking
place in our culture)
proves it has the
mettle to be called
Color of the Year.
The champ (like
2015s rosy-brown
Marsala) then inundates fashion and
design until the year
ends or everyone
tires of it, whichever
comes first.

26

APRIL 2016

May the hues be

ever in your favor

MENS FITNESS

But this year, in a

deliciously familiarsounding twist, Pantone made history
by naming not one
but two winners.
The first: Serenity,
a weightless and
airy blue that comforts with a calming effect...even in
turbulent times, as
Pantones Leatrice
Eiseman puts it.

Not to be outdone,
Rose Quartz proves
itself a persuasive
yet gentle color
that, like a serene
sunset, flushed
cheek, or budding
flower...reminds
us to reflect on our
surroundings.
One item we think
would be perfect
in either hue: hip
waders.

Catching fire. Expect

to see Serenity blue
(left) and Rose Quartz
fighting for space in
your closet soon.

JARREN VINK

Prop st yling by Angela Campos/Stockland Mar tel; Suit: Cour tesy of Samuelsohn

Hear bright belt and you probably imagine

some super-WASP-y number in hot pink
with, say, purple whales swimming on it. But the
recent onslaught of vivid but unpreppy-looking
belts from brands like Original Penguin, Ferragamo, and Bonobos is
changing all that. A bright belt is one of the few things a man can
wear to express a sense of fun, says Original Penguins Adam Weir.
Even with the most corporate gray trousers, it gives a subtle nod to
the cheeky person inside the uniform. But keep it simple, Weir
says, by adding little more than some clever socks. Too many elements and it looks like youre trying too hard. A N D R E W S T O N E

QFashion fans
have rocked allover denim in stylish ways latelynot
counting the socalled Canadian
tuxedo (aka a denim
jacket and jeans), a
designation thats
fair to neither tuxes
nor Canadians.
Still, few of us do
denim in the boardroom. But thanks
to a few boundarybusting labels, the
denim suit is now
kicking office ass.
It steps up
your suit game
for the season,
says Samuelsohn
designer Arnold
Silverstone. His
brands suit (above)
of Italian denim and
silk has full canvas construction to
keep it tailored and
sharp. Wear it with
a crisp shirt for a formal look or a light
sweater to go from a
meetingto a date.

Poor YouYou
Really Do Get Sicker
with the Flu
QNext time youre
felled by the flu and
your significant
other isnt as compassionate as youd
like, ask her if shes
been living under a
bushel, and tell her
its now a fact that
the flu actually hits
men harderand
for longerthan it
hits women.
Or, if youre planning on ever seeing
her again, you could
simply point out that
a study in the American Journal of Physiology has shown

Before You Get

in Each Others
Pants, Find Out
Whats Already
in Them
QTinder, in an
apparent act of
social responsibility, has added to its
site a health safety
section linking
to healthvana.com,
where you can
search by zip code
for STD testing
spots near you.
Broaching the subject with a hookup
can be tricky, but
with chlamydia,
gonorrhea, and
syphilis rates rising
for the first time
since 06, its a talk
worth rehearsing.

Wick-ed Unhealthy

28

MENS FITNESS

that the estrogen

in womens bodies
keeps the virus from
replicating as much
in their cells as it
does in mens.
Researchers arent
sure exactly why it
works, but previous
studies have found
that estrogen seems
to fight viruses like
HIV, Ebola, and
hepatitis. And if a
womans on birth
controlwhich provides extra estrogenthat could also
lessen flus symptoms and duration.
BTW, if shes the
one whos flu-y right
now, just smile, turn
on the teapot, and
keep this to yourself.

Vaping May Not

Help You Quit

Q If youve switched
over from cigarettes
to e-cigs, kudos. But
heads up: According
to new findings out
of U.C. San Francisco,
in the long run,
vaping may not help
you quit smoking
tobacco at all.
Combing through
58 studiesand controlling for variables
like age, location,
past attempts to
quit, and level of
nicotine dependenceresearchers
discovered that
adults who vape are
very likely to start
smoking cigarettes
again, or to smoke
them while theyre
also vaping. In fact,
the odds of quitting
smoking are 28%
worse for vapers than
for nonvapers who
just quit outright.
And while sucking on nicotine juice
is less harmful than
smoking tobacco, the
study authors said,
it may actually keep
you addicted longer
which would nullify
any of its benefits.

APRIL 2016

Yet another reason

why cats sorta suck
Its been proven over and over that having
a pet you love, typically a dog or cat, can do
great things for your health: lower your blood
pressure, relieve stress, reduce the risk of heart
attack, improve sleep, and provide emotional support. So it
would make sense youd want the pet that could give you
the most love in returnbut which one is that? Well, if
you can believe one new scientific study, the answers
simple: Dogs love their owners almost five times more than
cats do. In the experiment, run by American neuroeconomist Paul Zak, Ph.D., for a British documentary, dogs
and cats were separated from their owners and their saliva
was tested for oxytocin, the love hormone humans and
animals produce when they feel affection. Owners and
pets then spent 10 minutes playing together, after which
the oxytocin levels were tested again. And there it was:
The dogs levels had shot up almost 60% (ones soared
500%!), proof of their powerful affection. But the kitties?
Theirs had risen a paltry 12%a dismaying finding that,
on hearing it, sent us home to give our own two cats a
chance to prove it false. And as soon as they stop licking
themselves long enough to give a crap, were sure they will.

FIND MORE
GOOD WAYS
TO STAY
HEALTHY AT
MENSFITNESS.
COM/HEALTH.

E l d a d C a r i d / S t o c k s y. c o m

QLimonene, a
chemical that gives
candles, cleaners,
and air fresheners
a lemony scent, has
been found to react
with air to create
cancer-causing
formaldehyde. So
check labels and
ditch accordingly.

IS IT REALLY
LOVE YOU
SEE IN YOUR
POOCHS
EYES WHEN
HE LOOKS AT
YOU? DAMN
STRAIGHT IT IS.

With protein, fiber and

antioxidants like Vitamin E
and lutein, your favorite
snack is just what the
fitness guru ordered.

Motorcycle

Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance
Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. Motorcycle and ATV coverages are underwritten by GEICO Indemnity Company. 2016 GEICO

Everything you need to make life work for you

S t y l i n g b y M e g a n Te r r y/J u d y C a s e y

Game Changers

1
BEST SUIT SNEAKER

Q

Runaway
winners
The field was crowded, the competition fiercebut
these 2016 running shoes left the others in the dust
By Peter Koch Photographs by Jarren Vink

Our 700mL bottle fits everywherecup holders,

treadmills, your lifestyle.

2016 FIJI Water Company LLC. All Rights Reserved. FIJI, FIT, the Trade Dress and accompanying logos are trademarks of FIJI Water Company LLC or its affiliates. FW14447

Introducing our sleek new size.

Set your dog free from grains with

BLUE Freedom.

Made with the finest natural ingredients

and no grains or gluten, BLUE Freedom
is grain-free at its finest.

We all want our dogs and cats to look and feel their best.
For some of our furry friends, that means being on a
grain-free diet, which is why we created BLUE Freedom.

2016 Blue Buffalo Co., Ltd.

It always features real meat and has none of the grains

that contain gluten. Plus, BLUE Freedom has no corn, wheat
or soy and no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors.
If you think your dog or cat can do better on a grain-free
diet, you cant do better than BLUE Freedom.

SetYourPetsFree.com
Love them like family. Feed them like family.
Available for dogs and cats.

Game Changers

Guy food
Hot sauce is the
new superfood, as
small-batch
brands seek out
the purest, rarest,
most nutritionpacked peppers
on earth

Burn

By Shawn Donnelly
Photographs by
Levi Brown

after

eating

36

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

P r o p s t y l i n g b y M e g u m i E m o t o /A n d e r s o n H o p k i n s

Hot sauce is a fit

guys best friend. Is
there any better way
to jazz up a skinless
chicken breast? Well,
as it turns out, yes:
with an even healthier hot sauce. These
new pepper blends
hitting grocery
shelves arent
exactly Texas Pete.
Theyre jammed
with fresher ingredients and lack
preservatives and
refined sugars. They
also contain capsaicin, which recent
studies show helps
soothe sore muscles
and improve heart
health and even aids
in preventing cancer
development. (Just
remember to keep
milk handy to splash
on your tongue.)

PROMOTION

THE SIMPLE, SCIENTIFIC

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Game Changers

Guy food

Angry Cock Hot

Sauce ( P A G E 3 6 )

Pucker Butt
Shoot Thats Hot

Dr. Stadnyks
Hot Sauce

Blairs Beyond
Death Sauce

Hellfire Gourmet
Green Hot Sauce

Tears of the
Sun Hot Sauce

PEPPER USED:

PEPPER USED:

PEPPER USED:

PEPPERS USED:

PEPPERS USED:

PEPPER USED:

Bhut jolokia

Habanero

Habanero

Habanero, cayenne,
chipotle

Habanero

H E AT L E V E L :

H E AT L E V E L :

H E AT L E V E L :

Jalapeo, cayenne,
Carolina Reaper,
moruga scorpion

Q All natural and

Q This Tabasco-style

Q Produced by a

preservative-free,
this thick sauce
means business.
It has little taste
other than hotness
thanks to its main
ingredient, bhut jolokia
(aka ghost pepper),
one of the worlds
hottest chili peppers.
Novices beware: This
serious sauce was
originally concocted
for competition.

sauce combines 124

varieties of pepper
founder Smokin Ed
began growing peppers
25 years ago and
has one of the most
extensive collections
in the country. It wont
overpower whatever
you put it on, but
dont underestimate
ityoull still get a
nice little burn.

Houston-based
physician and his
son, this is probably
the healthiest hot
sauce weve found,
containing only four
ingredients: organic
carrots, habanero
peppers, kosher salt,
and organic vinegar. Its
a very versatile sauce,
and the doctor also
offers versions with
lime or sweet potato.

TexMex, grilled chicken

Wings, burritos
$15, cajohns.com

$8, puckerbuttpepper
company.com

Q The hottest of Blairs

11 death sauces, this is
for true chiliheads. You
just need a microdrop
for a huge kick. Its
got a smoky flavor,
with a hint of garlic,
followed by a delayed
blast of heat. Its like
your tongue got hit
with a hammer, say
the folks at Blairs.

Burgers, eggs

A dab
goes a long way in a
bowl of chili or ground
beef for meatballs

$6, drstadnyks.com

$15, extremefood.com

PA I R I T W I T H :
PA I R I T W I T H :

H E AT L E V E L :

PA I R I T W I T H :

PA I R I T W I T H :

H E AT L E V E L :

Q This is a green
sauce that goes with
just about anything,
but especially Mexican
food. Along with
the peppers, youll
taste Granny Smith
apples, roasted
garlic, and tomatillos.
Despite containing
the notoriously hot
Carolina Reaper, its
surprisingly tolerable.

H E AT L E V E L :

Q Created by a former
heavy-metal record
executive (and author
of the cookbook
Mosh Potatoes ), this
Tabasco-style blend
includes habanero
peppers, tropical fruit,
such as peaches,
papayas, pineapples,
and mangoes, and
a little brown sugar.
And, yes, the heat is
cranked up to 11.
PA I R I T W I T H :

Tacos, nachos

Chicken, fish, bagels

with cream cheese

$8, hellfirehotsauce.com

$6, highriversauces.com

PA I R I T W I T H :

APRIL 2016

MENS FITNESS

39

Game Changers

Miracle grow

Up and down time.

Cluster training reduces the
perceived effort you put into
training, making sessions more
motivating and less draining.

The easy

path

cluster training

Tank: ISAORA
Shorts: SUNSPEL
Sneakers: BROOKS
Want it?
See page 135.

40

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

S t y l i n g b y D e l v i n L u g o ; G r o o m i n g b y W i l l i a m M u r p h y/A t e l i e r M a n a g e m e n t u s i n g D i o r H o m m e

to gains

GET FIT.

IN STYLE.

. Whether youre
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2016 Fitbit Inc. All rights reserved. Fitbit and Fitbit Blaze are trademarks of Fitbit, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

Fit for any lifestyle.

The new Fitbit Blaze features interchangeable bands
in soft, genuine leather, hand-polished stainless steel or
classic colors, so youre always ready to hit the weight
room or the boardroom. Shop the collection at fitbit.com

2016 Fitbit Inc. All rights reserved. Fitbit and Fitbit Blaze are trademarks of Fitbit, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

(Not so) dead tired.

Performing exercises like
the deadlift as cluster sets
encourages good form by
conserving energy,

Game Changers

V E RY B O DY L O V E S

the results of
lifting weights.
Few people enjoy
the work of
actually lifting.
Whether its the
straining, the burn, or the demand
it puts on your breathing,
the discomfort of hard training
is one of the reasons people
begin to dread going to the gym
and ultimately quit doing it. But
what if there was a way to train
that got you the same or better
results as a gut-busting workout
with half the effort? Sign us up.

The answer to your

prayers may be
cluster training, a
method in which you
use short, interset rest
periods to perform
more reps than you
normally could with
a heavy weight. For
example, instead of
performing a set of six
reps for an exercise,
resting a few minutes,
and repeating, you
could do three mini
sets of three reps

HARD
FACTS
OUR TRAINING
DIRECTOR, SEAN
HYSON, SOLVES
YOUR WORKOUT
CONUNDRUMS

with the same load,

resting up to 20 seconds between each.
That way, you would
do nine reps with a
load that would normally allow you only
six. Plus, since you got
to rest so frequently
and do fewer reps at
a clip than you were
capable of, the work
would feel relatively
easier. Because the
total amount of
work you perform is

RON S., TEMECULA, CA

Q Probably the same

way youre training
now. Coaches who
argue that classic
exercises like squats
and presses arent
specific enough to
improve performance
in a given sport are
selling something. As
long as youre not
training exclusively
with machines and
are performing movements that generally
mimic what you do in
sports, your training
will have carryover.
Trying to replicate
throwing a baseball,
tackling a running
back, or swinging a
golf club in a gym is a
waste of time and can
even make you perform worse. Yet there

Cluster Fix

Choose a
compound barbell
exercise that works
the chest, such as a
bench press, incline
press, or decline
press. Choose a load
that allows you five
reps but perform
only two.
Rest 10 seconds
and repeat for three
more mini sets. Now
rest two minutes.
Thats one cluster.
Repeat the whole
process for five
total clusters. You
will have done 40
total reps. Compare
that with a typical
prescription of three
sets of five reps (for
15 total reps), and
you can see how
much more powerful
cluster training can
be without pushing
you to your limit.

greater, youll apply

a greater stimulus for
muscle gains.
Cluster training has
been popular among
competitive lifters for

are still some putz

trainers who recommend using a weighted
bat to improve swing
speed for baseball players, which
strength coach Mark
Rippetoe had some
fun exposing in his
book Practical Programming for Strength
Training: Adding
mass to a precisely
weighted implement
changes the execution
of the skillSwinging a weighted bat is a
good way to practice
swinging more slowly,
a skill which might not
prove useful unless
the pitcher agrees to
throw the ball more
slowly.

decades for boosting gains, but new

research has found
that its propensity to
improve the enjoyment of a workout
is worthwhile, too.
Last year, a study in
the Journal of Sports
Sciences compared
cluster training with
traditional lifting
with the single-leg
extension. Subjects
performed four sets of
eight reps with three
minutes rest between
sets on one leg and
did clusters of one
rep on the other leg
with 17.4 seconds rest
between each until
32 total reps were
done. Read: The work
for both legs was the
same, but the way it
was performed was
diferent.
Both legs gained
strength. However,
the subjects rated the
cluster sets as less
physically draining.
Jim Smith, C.P.P.S.,
a strength coach and
owner of dieselsc.com,
loves cluster training

CLUSTER
TRAINING LETS
YOU PERFORM
MORE REPS
WITH HEAVIER
WEIGHTAND
NOT FEEL IT.

FOR MORE
TRAINING TIPS
FOR BIG GAINS,
GO TO MENS
FITNESS.COM.

APRIL 2016

but warns that while

the rest periods for
clusters may seem
cushy, theyre still
short. Take deep
breaths, shake out
your muscles, and
mentally prepare for
the next efort.
While clusters
may seem like a gift
to those who would
prefer to avoid a hard,
grinding workout,
Smith says you cant
do them exclusively.
Because of the heavy
weight and the stress
they put on your body,
you should cycle
clusters in three- to
four-week blocks
only. Furthermore,
theres great value in
doing longer-lasting
setsi.e., traditional
strength training,
with respect to building endurance and
providing the muscles
with enough time
under mechanical
tension to promote
growth. So, yeah, you
still have to bust your
ass in the gym sometimes. Sorry.
MENS FITNESS

41

Game Changers

Experience

Destination:

Marathon

42

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

F r e d D u f o u r /A F P/ G e t t y

Take a 26.2-mile tour

of the City of Light.
Paris April race is a
popular oneregister at
least nine months ahead
of time to ensure a spot.

Game Changers

Experience

Youd be surprised how much an exotic locale

will help motivate your marathon training and
keep you focused on your goal. Plus, new and
interesting surroundings make the race itself fly by,
whether youre cruising through New York Citys
five boroughs or along the beaches of Barcelona.
But having done nearly a half dozen myself, Ive
learned, often the hard way, that you cant just
wing itrunning 26.2 miles in totally unknown
territory takes some planning.

Decide between
urban and outdoorsy

Q Destination
marathons come in
two flavors: those
with beautiful natural
landscapes, like Big Sur,
on the California coast,
or those with electric
and eclectic urban
vibes, like Chicago or
Paris. Worry less about
the course profile itself
than about what sort
of place will inspire
you most.

Study all the

Internet intel

Q Research the races

Book a home
instead of a hotel

Q Most official
marathon guides
recommend getting hotel
rooms close to the start.
Instead, scan Airbnb
and VRBO for a nearby
rental. It might not be
around the corner,
but it will have more
space and amenities
specifically a full kitchen
so you can stick with
home cooking. Plus,
you can search for a
place with a tub for icebath recovery. (Dont
forget to grab a few
bags of ice and throw
them in the freezer when
you arrive.)

Relax, revel,
recoverin that
order

Q A long weekend
is plenty of time to
squeeze in a marathon,
but you need to organize
your time well (and
the more time zones
youre crossing, the
more time you need
before the event). In
the days leading up
to the race, you should
simply enjoy yourself,
perhaps sneaking in just
one short, easy run the
day before. The day of
the race (after youve
run, obviously) is the
perfect time to try out
every microbrew and
local food truck you can
find. And take a day off
after the race, which
is when your body will
wantor needto do
absolutely nothing,
then fly home. If your
flight will be longer
than about eight hours,
consider adding an extra
day on top of that.

Match prerace
meals to your
home routine

Cliff-hanger.
As you cross Big Surs
stunning Bixby Bridge,
youll completely forget
youre only halfway.

steer clear of heavy,

high-fat foods.

Recover right

Q Youll want to pack

in as much sightseeing
as possible after the
race, so youll need
to bounce back fast.
Immediately after
running, hit up the
massage tent at the
finish line, then head
to your rental for

Postcardperfect runs

a 15- to 20-minute
ice bath to reduce
inflammation and flush
lactic acid. Finally, put
on compression tights
(to boost circulation
and oxygenate sore
muscles), and get some
extra protein. Hard
exercise like liftingor
running a marathon
tears muscle; protein is
what then speeds up the
muscle repair.

Q This race is on par with Chicago and NYC

for vibrancy and diversity. (Youll hear several
languages being spoken at the start.) And, yes,
it does pass right by the Eiffel Tower.

Q Repeat after me:

Nothing new on race
day. Been doing your
training runs on oatmeal
and coffee? Bring them.
And its OK to eat out,
but stick to your favorite
carbs: You a pasta guy,
or more of a rice-andbeans dude? Find the
best damn Italian or TexMex joint in town. Just
44

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

Q The Big Sur run is full of ups and downs, but

the sweeping views of the California coastand
the killer wine at the finish linewill motivate
you all the way to the end in Carmel.
Q This Minneapolis race has all the trappings
of an urban marathonrabid crowds and wildly
different neighborhoodsbut with an outdoorsy
feel as it circumnavigates the citys lakes.

F r o m t o p : C r a i g L o v e l l / E a g l e V i s i o n s P h o t o g r a p h y/A l a m y ; C o u r t e s y o f Tw i n C i t i e s M a r a t h o n

challenges and idiosyncrasies by lurking

on message boards
and personal training
journals. (I like letsrun
.com for its great course
primers.) Runners are
an obsessive lot, so
their extensive reviews
detail everything from

the quickest route to

the start line to a wonky
turn at mile 22. Find out
about the races official
sports drinkno matter
what it is, its time to
start getting used to
drinking it.

A good run is good for your perspective,

getting you beyond the bad, the worse
or even the downright apocalyptic.

016 BRO
OKS SPORTS INC.

Game Changers

Training

Brute
strength
The sandbag, one of the oldest, cheapest, and simplest
muscle-building tools out there, has been reborn as the
ultimate one-piece weight room
Cockrell

he military for decades

ying awkward loads,
ell, a bunch of sandbags.
gs are on the market
e strength, says Rob
Y, training center that
responders. Brute
h situations. Sandbags
ssay, reaching into a
ur training to provide a
uch heavier 60 pounds
aul.

BAG THESE MOVES

Q You can adapt strength exercises like squats,
cleans, or even swings to work with sandbags.
However, the following exercises better exploit
the sandbags instability. Start with a 40- or
60-pound bag and work your way up.

1 SANDBAG
GETUP
Q Based on the Turkish
getup, this is a by-allmeans-necessary
exercise that transfers
very well to real-life
movements. The
nature of it is that it
is awkward, so its
realistic, Shaul says.
Hold the sandbag
over your shoulder with
one hand and lie down
flat on your back on the
floor. Get up any way
you want until standing,
keeping the bag pressed
overhead.

D O I T:

2 WALKING
LUNGE
Q A perfect swap for
your favorite leg burner,
the sandbag lunge makes
this much more than just
a quad hit.
Drape the bag over
your shoulders and do
five forward-lunge steps,
without letting your knee
hit the ground. Switch
sides and repeat.

D O I T:

Tank: REEBOK
Pants: C9 CHAMPION
Sneakers: NIKE
Sandbag: SKLZ
Want it?
See page 135.

Q Throwing objectsas
is popular with medicine
ballsbuilds explosive
power and core strength.
Heave the bag up
to your chest, then throw
it forward. Walk up to the
bag and do it again.

D O I T:

AMES MICHELFELDER

G r o o m i n g b y M a t t h e w Tu o z z o l i /A t e l i e r M a n a g e m e n t

3 SANDBAG
THROW

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Relationships

Game Changers

52

first dates

For a year, I turned my life into a dating

petri dish so you could learn from my
experience By Sarah Rose

The single life is a gift. Its

champagne and roses, fireworks and fireplaces, long
meandering kisses under
bridges at sunset, and hot, unfathomable sex that lasts entire federal holidays.
But its also, sometimes, a gift Id rather
return. Its lonely. I want to watch Netflix
in dirty sweatpants with someone whose
name I can remember. So as an experiment I went on a date a week for a year
to see if finding love was really just a
numbers game. For this precious adventure, I am so grateful. As are condom
manufacturers worldwide. It worked
I am off the market. And I learned some
badass dating hacks along the way. Ive
done my time. I know whereof I speak.

Sleep around

to bank happy
memories for future
late-night PornTube
sessions.
When its all over,
as it will be, youll
consider your single
years your apprenticeship. Dont cut
that time short.

QOpen the door for

her. Get the bill at the
end of the date. Shell
go for the hand-fake
to her wallet, but
dont let her throw
down the plastic.
At the end of the
night, put her in
an Uber. Keep your
towel of the floor
during sleepovers at
her house.
Cheap tricks pay
hugedividends, like

48

APRIL 2016

MENS FITNESS

Do the easy stuff

HOW DOES
HER ASS
LOOK IN THAT
DRESS?
IT DOESNT
MATTER
JUST LIE.

FOR MORE
DATING AND
RELATIONSHIP
TIPS, GO TO
MENSFITNESS.
COM.

Never be
100% honest

Master the
breakup

QTheres only one

answer: Her ass
in that dress gets
you hot. That roll
of pudge that only
she can see? You
have one line: I
cant stop thinking
about you naked.
Whisper it when its
inappropriate, like
during previews at
the movies, dinner
with your boss, or
your grandmothers
funeral.
Petite lies grease
the wheels of love.
Yes, its tedious. Do it
anyway. If you find
yourself lying more
than telling the
truth, shes not the
droid youre looking
for. Move along.

QShell replay
The End like the
Zapruder film, so get
this part right:
A text, e-mail, call,
note, bouquet, semaphore signal, or skywritten message is
not enough. It took
more than 140 characters to fall for each
other, you got naked
togetherbreak up
with her f2f IRL, k?
A good goodbye
means the possibility of reconciliation
when someday you
realize she was
more charming than
annoying, and slutting it up gets old. It
will. Life is long.
Also, she has
friends, and brunch.

Tr u n k A r c h i v e

QEveryone thinks
theyre good in bed.
Many are wrong.
Some are extremely
wrong. Practice. Date
an older woman, old
enough to be your
teenmom. Seek
feedback. Then practice again.
Put another body
between you and a
bad breakup. Maybe
six. Mileage may
vary. Im writing a
self-help book titled
The Slut Solution.
Its going to be a
very big hit.
Taste every
delicacy, savor each
morselthere will
be time to choose a
favorite flavor later.
Use these years
to gain wisdom,

investing in Apple
in 1996. Youll either
make her swoon
with your gallantry
or, if you never want
to see her again,
keep her from complaining that you
werent a gentleman
during your long,
awful date and ranting to her girlfriends
the next day that
she wouldnt wish
you on her meanest middle-school
enemy.
Remember, the girl
youre not into on
Saturday night goes
to the replay with
her girlfriends at
Sunday brunch. He
wasnt for me leads
to but youd love
that Uber thing, so
I am totally setting
you two up.

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Game Changers

Jocked up. Blake Jenner (left) and

Temple Baker in Everybody Wants Some.

STILL TRYING TO
GET PAST THIRD BASE
Richard ( Dazed and Confused ) Linklaters
new baseball comedy proves you can make a
great sequelif you wait 20 years to do it

Cult figure
Three years after Aaron Yeah, Bitch! Paul finished his
unforgettable turn as Jesse on AMCs Breaking Bad, hes back as
yet another tortured soul in the new Hulu series The Path
By Martin Mulkeen

Your characters cult,

called the Ladder,
is an amalgam of a lot
of real cults. Did you
do any research for
the role?
These people in this cult
dont think theyre in a
cult. They think the
message theyre spreading is true and real. So I
actually used my religious
upbringing as a platform.
I grew up in a very
religious household,
Southern Baptist minister
father. Im not saying
cults and religions are
the same thing. But just
as human beings were
desperately searching for our questions to
50

MENS FITNESS

be answered. Thats why

its easy for people to go
toward the light, per se.

nowhere started doing

it. They say its such a
cleansing and eyeopening experience.

The Ladder followers

believe in the power of
green juice. Are you a
juice guy?
Ive tried to do a cleanse
only once in my life. It was
a three-day juice cleanse,
and right around 3 oclock
the first afternoon is
when I gave up on it. Kung
Pao Bistro that night. But
for that half day, it really
felt like I was accomplishing something.

Have you ever had to

kick a bad habit?
I used to smoke, but I
stopped years ago. It
was hard because my
character, Jesse, on
Breaking Bad would
smoke a lot. I asked them
if they could write that
out of the script, but then
there was the whole ricin
cigarette thingI had to
be smoking.

The cult also has

restrictions on booze
consumption, but
everyone smokes
weed. Your character
even does the hallucinogen ayahuasca. Have
you ever tried it?
I have not tried ayahuasca, but I was strongly
considering doing it
before we started shooting. Its another trend
that has kind of just
taken off where Im living in Los Angeles. Some
of my friends just out of

Its a far cry from the

clean living in Idaho. Do
you get home much?
I moved away 17 years
ago, but anytime I have a
break, I run back there.
Most people think Idaho
is just open fields of
potatoes, which is so
funny. Its gorgeous.
Idaho is full of national
parks, lakes, and beautiful rivers. Incredible
outdoor activities. I just
hang out with family or
get on some ATVs and
ride around.

APRIL 2016

I TRIED A
CLEANSE
ONCE.
AROUND
3 OCLOCK
THE FIRST
DAY, I
GAVE UP.

F r o m t o p l e f t : R o d o l f o M a r t i n e z / C P i S y n d i c a t i o n ; Va n R e d i n / P a r a m o u n t ; U n i v e r s a l / P h o t o f e s t

Following up Breaking
Bad must be tough. On
your new show, The
Path, you play a guy
who joins a cult after
enduring a crisis. Why
this show?
The moment I read this it
was impossible to ignore
the material and this
world of cults. The
stories get more and
more intense.

University, with shaggyhaired freshman pitcher

Jake arriving to meet his
teammates and settle
into college life.
The big surprise here
is that this is a bona fide
baseball movie, despite
there being just a single
baseball sceneand
a practice, at that.
Yet in that scene,
Linklater, who went to
college on a baseball
scholarship, captures
the languid beauty of the
game as few other
filmmakers have.
But he also hits a home
run by delivering whats
basically Dazed and Confused for a new generation. Everybody Wants
Some is dedicated to the
beer-soaked fuckwithery that defines a college jocks existence:
mattress surfing, beercan golf, Space Invaders,
and bloody knuckles.
And, like Dazed,
theres not
much of a
plot, just a
series of
moments
that add up
to something
greater, selfdiscovery,
and reaffirm,
of course,
the importance of
the eternal
pursuit of
All right, all right, all right.
getting
Matthew McConaugheyin 93s
laid. M . M .
Dazed.

Q Its like the every

other decade theory:
The 50s were boring.
The 60s rocked. And the
70s obviously suck
maybe the 80s will be
radical. Well be in our
20s, and, hey, it cant get
any worse. Thats the
wisdom of Cynthia at a
last-day-of-school kegger in Richard Linklaters
1993 coming-of-age
classic Dazed and Confused , set in 1976.
Well, in Everybody
Wants Some, the 80s
have finally arrived
as have plenty more
moments of brilliance
well all be quoting for the
next decade.
Despite the 20-plusyear gap between making the films, Linklater
calls Everybody Wants
Some a spiritual sequel
to Dazed and Confused.
It opens in the days leading up to fall semester of
1980 at Southeast Texas

 2016. Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company.

Juicy Fruit and all affiliated designs are trademarks of Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company or its affiliates.

A Sweet Piece of Fun.

Game Changers

Sympathy
for the devil
Brit Tom Ellis is having the time of his
life in his most devious role yet
Photograph byJeff Lipsky

Style

The Guy
Q How does a polite,
soft-spoken, rugbyloving Welshman
like Tom Ellis land
the role of the Prince
of Darkness? Its
an old joke: All evil
people in movies are
British, he says.
A star in England
who made his name
playing TV doctors
and detectives, Ellis
is now taking a much
more sinister turn
on Foxs new series
Lucifer. Inspired
by the Neil Gaiman
graphic novel The
Sandman, the
show followsyou
guessed itthe devil,
who, bored with hell,
retires to L.A. and
becomes a nightlifeloving consultant for
the LAPD.
With his permanent 5 oclock
shadow, Ellis didnt
need to change
much about his
look to play the part.
My goal was to
make him human,
he says. Im going
for lovable rogueI
think of him as Mick
Jagger and Nol
Cowards love child,
with some Oscar
Wilde thrown in.

The Clothes

52

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

MARTIN MULKEEN

G r o o m i n g b y S y d n e y S o l l o d / T h e Wa l l G r o u p u s i n g K e v i n M u r p h y

Jacket:
TOMMY
HILFIGER

Q A traditional
trench coat can
make a man look
like two kids trying
to sneak into an
R-rated movie. The
Tommy Hilfiger
THFlex Rafael Nadal
Edition version,
though, trades buckles and billow for a
more modern look
thats also stretchy
and waterproof.
Its always
been my vision to
reimagine the
classics, says
Hilfiger. Nice job.

Game Changers

Style

All Items:
EXPRESS
Want it?
See page 135.

Your new away-game uniform: a jacket as audacious as you are

The varsity player

By John Mather
Photograph by John Lawton

Grooming

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Hot seat

Game Changers

A RARE
BIRD

I WAS IN THIS
GIRL BAND,
BUT I WASNT
THE STRONGEST
SINGER, SO I
BECAME THE
SEXY TALKER.

(
(

G i l l e s To u c a s

60

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

Earn It!

Four last-minute
(and totally legal)

tax
dodges
Whether its socking money into
an IRA or HSA or even using your
couch-surng buddy as the basis
for a deduction, heres how to lower
your yearly tax bill down the
homestretch

Ah, April. The smack of baseballs hitting

the catchers mitt. Bright owers blooming. That rst lukewarm day when women
walk down the street with practically nothing on. Uncle Sam sucking your checking
account dry on tax day. I know, I know:
We all want to live in a country with an
army, paved roads, and clean water. But
you dont have to be a placard-waving
Tea Party activist or Wesley Snipes to wish
you could reduce the size of the check you
send to the IRS in a few weeks. And good
news: Though most tax-saving moves have
to be made long before tax day, there are
still a few nancial maneuvers you can
execute at the last minute to reduce your
2015 liability. Even more good news:
Congress even passed a few tax breaks last
year that will help you, and this years taxling deadline is later than usual, on April
18 (pushed back because April 15 is a holiday, Emancipation Day), so youve got even
more time than usual to try and shave a few
Benjamins of what you owe. Heres how.
62

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

MANEUVER 1

Open up a last-minute IRA

Youre probably sick of hearing that you

arent saving enough for retirement.
While thats probably the case, Ill spare
you the same old lecture and ofer you
yet another reason to start saving: Uncle
Sam will cut your taxes when you put
money into an Individual Retirement
Account. The IRS allows you to contribute up to $5,500 per year ($6,500 if you
are over 50), and you can then reduce
your taxable income by that amount. To
oversimplify a bit, if you earn $100,000
a year and deposit $5,000, the government will tax only $95,000 of your

income. That could knock about $1,250

of your tax bill.
Low-income savers get an added
bonus: If youre single and made less
than $30,501, youre eligible for the
savers credit of up to $1,000 in addition to the tax break. It allows you to
double-dip, says Lisa Greene-Lewis,
CPA and tax expert at TurboTax, who
says only one out of four people who are
eligible actually claim this credit. To get
the tax savings on your current return,
make sure you tell the IRA administrator (Fidelity, Schwab, or whichever rm
the account is with) that the contribution is for the 2015 tax year. Then deposit
the money by April 18.
NOMA BAR

Be the smartest
(money) guy in the room

by Jack Otter

Expert personal finance advice

from Jack Otterfree of charge!
MANEUVER 2

Sock away some dough in

a Health Savings Account

If your health-insurance plan has an

annual deductible of more than $1,300
($2,600 for family coverage), you can pair
it with a Health Savings Account. This is
like an IRA but for doctors bills, except
you dont have to wait for retirement to
spend it. You can deposit up to $3,350 for
an individual ($6,750 for a family) and
deduct that amount from your taxable
income. You can withdraw the money
at any time to pay for medical expenses.
Unlike ex-spending accounts you may
have through your employer, these are not
use it or lose it accounts. You can even
invest the money, let it grow, and tap the
account years from now. Note: Make the
deposit in the HSA by April 18 in order to
reduce your 2015 tax bill.
MANEUVER 3

Procrastinateand then
deduct like hell

If you cant get all your records together

and le your taxes or your accountant
doesnt want to hear from you this late in
the game, its easy to get an automatic sixmonth extension. The bad news is, this
is a paperwork extension, not a payment
extension. You still have to send the IRS
any money owed by April 18, so make your
best guess and send in a check with Form
4868. If in doubt, overpay and le the
actual return as soon as you can to get any
money back that you are owed. Youll have
until Oct. 15. As you pull your records
together, your goal is to nd things you
spent money on last year that the government allows you to deduct from your
income, thus reducing your taxes. Here
are seven easy deductions:

Q When booking summer travel online,

beware of hidden add-on fees that hotels tack
on to the advertised per-night cost. If you see
a good rate online, call the hotel front desk
directly and politely ask if a better rate is
available. Youll be surprised by the result.

Q More and more credit card thieves are

eschewing Vegas and playing small ball by
charging tiny amounts to cards, assuming
cardholders wont notice. So if you see
mysterious $9.80 charges, call your bank.

QIf youre hiring a tax-prep firm to do your

taxes, dont get suckered by refund anticipation checks and other offers to give you a
refund up-front. Youll pay an outrageous fee.
Instead, pay only the tax-prep charge; the IRS
will direct-deposit every cent youre owed in
your bank account.

donation of goods to a charity, even

clothes dropped of at a qualifying thrift
shop, can reduce your taxes. Bill Clinton
famously claimed $2 a pair for donated
underwear. Just remember you can
deduct only the fair-market value, which
means what someone would actually pay
for your boxers. You can also deduct
14 cents a mile spent driving to and
from charity work. Greene-Lewis says
taxpayers sometimes forget about automatic charitable deductions from their
paychecks since they dont show up on the
W-2 form from their employer.

6) Student-loan interest: Any interest you

paid on student loans is deductible up
to $2,500. Note that the principal is not
deductible; your lender will break it out
for you.
7) The nice-guy deduction: Finally, there is

2) Mortgage-interest deduction: To the

always the standard deduction, which

means that the IRS lets you subtract
$6,300 from your taxable income just
cause youre a nice guyor you can
itemize, which means listing all the
expenses you incurred that the government lets you deduct from your income.
If youre not sure, just add up your deductions and take whichever is higher.

annoyance of renters (and economists

who say its distortionary), interest on the
mortgage from your primary residence
is deductible. It can be a huge savings.
In round numbers: In the rst year of
a $200,000 mortgage, you would pay
nearly $8,000 in interest, which could
mean a $2,000 tax break for someone
with a $100,000 income.

MANEUVER 4

3) Business expenses: Self-employment

If for nothing else, start prepping

ahead of time for next year

can be tough on the tax front, with no

employer to share your Social Security
(FICA) taxes and none of that free money
in the form of a 401(k) match. But dont
forget that ordinary and necessary
business expenses are deductible against
any prots, from the expense of hiring a
website designer to buying a lawn mower
for your landscaping operation.
Ted Cruzs plan to abolish the IRS is that
this deduction would go away. If your
unemployed buddys request to crash on
your couch just for a week or two turned
into a year, you may have a sweet tax
break raiding your fridge. Greene-Lewis
says that if the deadbeat made less than
$4,000 and you covered more than half of
his living expenses, congratulations! You
have yourself a dependent, good for a tax
break of up to $4,000.

If youve realized nothing else by this

point, its that taxes are complicated and
record keeping is crucial. So even if its
too late to itemize for 2015, start keeping
records now so you can itemize next year.
The simplest tax mistake is not taking
the deductions to which youre entitled,
says Gary Schatsky, a nancial adviser
and CPA at objectiveadvice.com. Merely
remembering deductions and taking
them may be the easiest paycheck you
ever earn.
Remember that you have to have
records to back up your deductions if
you itemize. Since the tax code is 70,000
pages long, the above list isnt exactly
comprehensive. Unless you have a very
simple nancial life, I recommend hiring
an accountant or using tax software;
theres a good chance the help will pay for
itself, and more, in tax savings. Q

5) Sales taxes: Just before Christmas,

Congress wrapped up a gift to residents
of states with low or no income tax.

Jack Otter is the author of Worth ItNot

Worth It? Simple & Protable Answers to
Lifes Tough Financial Questions.

4) Deadbeat friends: The worst thing about

1) Charitable contributions: Any cash or

Lawmakers made permanent a tax break

that allows you to deduct any sales taxes
you paid throughout the year instead of
deducting state taxes (but not both). If
you didnt keep all your receipts, dont
worry. You can simply take a standard
deduction based on your income and
place of residence. You can add certain
big-ticket items on top of that, so, for
instance, a New York City resident buying
a $50,000 car would pay $4,375 in sales
tax. On top of that you get a standard
deduction of $1,232, for a total deduction
of $5,607.

Burn It!

Unboxing
Amazon
The Everything Store
may have already won
the war for your wallet, but that
doesnt mean you know
everything it ofers

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

Last holiday season, a staggering

40% of Americas
entire onlineshopping spending went to
Amazon, with 200 million
more packages delivered
to Prime subscribers than
in 2014. And when those
subscribers werent shopping
for books and oice supplies
and groceries and socks (and
basically everything except
weapons-grade plutonium),
they were listening to free
streaming Amazon Music and
watchingthat is, bingeing
onshows like Transparent and The Man in the High
Castle, part of the companys
new TV production arm. The
companys revenues topped
$100 billion in 2015, up 20%
over the year before. In
short: Amazonaka the
Everything Store, a name its
picked up over the yearsis
winning so handily, its the
online-store equivalent of the
1992 Dream Team, casually
lobbing alley-oops over the
global competition. Now,
full confession: Im something
of a brick-and-mortar retail
purist who loves cruising
stores and trying to haggle my
way to a better price. But lets
be clear: Im an outlier. So I
decided to take a look into the
basics of Amazon Prime to nd
out what it really ofers and
how to, essentially, game the
Prime system to max out the
yearly membership fee. Heres
what I learned.

LEVI BROWN

P r o p s t y l i n g b y M e g u m i E m o t o /A n d e r s o n H o p k i n s

64

by Mark Ellwood

Ryan & Amy Jo

Palmquest
Team Nutrishop Athletes
and Nutrishop store owners

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Burn It!

THE
VODKA
THATS
WORTH
EVERY
PENNY.

What comes with the

basic Prime membership

There are several reasons youll hear

that Prime is worth every penny of its
$99 yearly fee. Here, a few of the best:
1) Free two-day (and discounted
overnight ) shipping: If you forego a

Prime membership but still shop

Amazon for holiday gifts, you can easily
exceed $99 on shipping costs, making
Prime a smart buy for that reason alone.
The site also deeply discounts overnight delivery, which comes in extra
handy three days before Christmas (or a
forgotten birthday or anniversary).
Also on the way is the $7.99, one-hour
Prime Now service Amazons already
started rolling out in some cities. But as
a Prime member, your goal should be
to take advantage of free shipping. My
advice? Youre already paying almost a
hundred bucks for itwhy not use it?
2) (Seriously) hassle-free returns with
no annoying restocking fees: Amazon

turns pretty much a blind eye to returns

on Prime-eligible items, sending you
a free mailing label or, at times, even
letting you keep the unwanted item.
(According to one phone rep, it can
be cheaper for them than shipping it
back.) So, though another seller may
beat the Prime priceand even ofer
free shippingyou could get stuck with
unreturnable merchandise or hit with a
ridiculous restocking fee.
One caveat: During the online return
process, when asked why youre sending
an item back, never, ever check the box
for No longer needed/wantedthe
one reason Amazon may feel a shipping/
restocking fee is called for.
A last, little-known Prime benet: If
you call to start the return process and
ask the rep nicely, he/she can give you an
instant refund so you get the cash back
before youve even boxed up the reject.
3) Free video: Amazon started ofering

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streaming video on demand (VOD) to

Prime members in 2006, then in 11
expanded to unlimited streaming of
thousands of lms and TV shows, all
watchable on most every modern doohickey: computer, TV, Blu-ray, Chromecast, Roku, and Android/iOS devices.
In 2013, Amazon, like Netix, began
producing its own shows, such as
Transparent, about a transgender dad
and his family, which won a best series
Golden Globe in 15 (a rst for any
streaming-media-produced show).

4) Free streaming music and

playlists: Another Prime bonus is

unlimited access to a million-plus

ad-free songs from heavy-hitters across
all genres, including Yeezy, the Stones,
Tay-Tay, and Madonna, plus indie acts
like Foxygen and Tame Impala.
Perks include being able to browse
hundreds of Prime Playlists curated by
Amazons resident music experts, like
Missys Party Popping (Missy Elliott
Faves) and Classical Dreamtime.
Or go radio with Prime Stations,
which ofer an uninterrupted stream
of (again, ad-free) songs you can build
into your own soundtrack. You can also
download any song from the catalog,
then listen to it offline.
5) Video games: This sure got some

hardcore gamers attention: In January,

Amazon announced that Prime members will get 20% of all pre-orders and
new releases (new = the rst two weeks
after launch). The discount, added at
checkout, applies to physical copies/
special editions, not console bundles.
6) Cloud storage: One reason to join

Prime thats rarely discussed: the

Amazon Cloud Drive, which ofers
unlimited photo storage for free, and
unlimited everything storage for an
extra $60/year. Compare that with
Dropbox ($100/year for 1TB), Google
Drive ($120/year for 1TB), or iCloud
($120/year for 1TB), and its the most
cost-efective way to back up les.
It delivers on a single promise, says
Charles Tulley, an Amazon-shopping
expert whos written several users
guides to the website. Unlimited le
storage, with no hidden costs.
7) Prime Pantry: There are two ways
members can buy food and personal/
household items (shampoo, Ajax) on
Amazon: Item by item, with the usual
free two-day shipping, and Prime
Pantry, where you ll a box with up to 45
pounds of products (usually in everyday,
not Costco, sizes, each discounted and
often with generous coupons), then pay
a at $5.99 for shipping.
Of course, since 45 pounds costs no
more to ship than ve, its easy to get
carried away and spend more than you
planned, so it pays to use some restraint.

Other worthy (non-Prime) deals

Some of the best buys are the items that

made Amazon into, you know, Amazon,
says consumer expert Andrea Woroch.

Which is to say: books, on which youll

denitely save money over a brick-andmortar store, and consumer electronics,
like speakers, TVs, and peripherals.
Other deals: Products from Amazon
Basics, low-priced electronics gear the
company uses to pull folks into their
ecosystem, says Tulley (The rechargeable AAs I use are top of the line).
Then theres the companys own proprietary hardware, which is tempting to
buy because its so surprisingly cheap:
Only Amazon can sell for $80 a Kindle
that cost $84 to makea diference it
easily recoups in book sales.
Heres my lightning-round take on
their newest tech gadgets to consider:
KINDLE: An obvious no-brainer, whether
its the basic version for $80 or the newest Kindle Voyage for $200.
FIRE STICK: At $40, this TV-streaming
device is supereasy to use and has
everything I usually wantnews apps,
HBO Go, Sling, ESPNas well as access
to Amazons streaming content. Though
I happen to prefer the Roku Streaming
Stick ($50), which has even more content and is less restrictive to use.
ECHO: Designed as a smart homes
nerve center, this fun, voice-activated
Wi-Fi device ($180) lets you bark orders
to control your music, lighting, and
security systems, and answers questions
youd otherwise Google. (Though if your
homes not Internet-enabled, its pretty
much just a wireless speaker.)

NEW FIRE TABLET: I cant rave enough

about this: The 8GB version with a
seven-inch screen ($50) doubles as a
Kindle, and is way cheaper than an iPad
for streaming on the go.

Finally, a few smart shopping tricks

To get the best deal on everything Amazon, due diligence is in order. Some tips:
GO FOR BEST SELLERS: Amazon
employs a pricing strategy of ofering deals mainly on popular or wellreviewed items. Choose products with
#1 Best Seller labels or near-ve-star
ratings, and its a good bet youve got a
good deal on your hands.
FOLLOW THE PRICING: Amazon tweaks
40 million to 80 million prices a day,
experts say, often multiple times on a
single item; the numbers can uctuate
by a few pennies or hundreds of dollars,
according to supply and demand.
How to keep track?
If you like an item but not its price,
place it in your cart anyway; then each
time you open the cart, watch for an Important Messages About Items in Your
Cart list of price changes on your saved
items. A steep drop means you
may want to snap it upbefore the price
rises again.
Also, sign up for the camelcamelcamel
.com price tracker, download the Camelizer extension, and click on it while viewing any Amazon item to see a detailed
pricing history. Then set the price
reached, Camel will send an alert.
First, if you
see a product with tons of vestar write-ups, search the reviews
for the keyword honest, as in I
received this product at a discount in exchange for my honest
feedbackthe recent scourge of
online reviewing. Honest or not
(theres no way to tell), the practice
inspires suspicion.
Next, read most recent not
top reviews rst, to weed out
those by company shills or supportive friends who wrote raves the
HACK THE REVIEWS:

Last, be wary of book reviewers

name (Dr. Eaton truly knows her
subject!; James writes such gripping stories!). They might as well
Q

Bargain Fever: How to Shop in a

Discounted World.

THE
VODKA
RICH IN
HISTORY.
AND
FLAVOR.

MEET THE REAL

JOE MANGANIELLO:
THE GUY SOFIA VERGARA
FELL HEAD OVER HEELS
FOR, PEE-WEE HERMAN
WROTE HIS NEW FILM
FOR, ANDDUE TO A
STAGGERING NEW SET OF
FITNESS GOALSCROWDS
AT CROSSFIT GAMES MAY
SOON BE CHEERING FOR

joe
BY

PHOTOGRAPHS BY

JA S O N A DA M S

DOUG INGLISH

A L L C L O T H I N G B Y J O H N VA RVAT O S

THE MAN Behind THE MUSCLE

APRIL 2016

MENS FITNESS

69

On
Youre the co-star of Pee-wees
Big Holiday. Youre not just doing a
cameo, which I think a lot of people
might guessthe movie is actually
about you. Joe is one of the two
main characters. Paul [Reubens]
told me hes a big fan of yours and
your work, which is evident in the
movie. Have you always been a fan
of Pee-wees?

When the casting was

announced, Paul got upset
because people who were
talking about it online were
treating it like it was a stuntcast cameo. But Im playing me.
I love Pee-wee. I mean, I saw
Pee-wees Big Adventure in the
theater as a kid, and that was
mind-blowing. I watched every
episode of Pee-wees Playhouse
and [his second full-length
feature] Big Top Pee-weeI
saw it all. When I read the
script, I laughed hysterically. I
remember Soa was in another
room, and she kept asking me,
Are you OK?
I think kids who dont really
know Pee-wee are going to love
it, so its going to introduce him
to an entirely new generation.
Theres a nostalgia side to it,
but it also stands on its own.
Was this role a big change for
you? Youve been known more for
parts where your physique is a
main focus.

Im an actor rst, so I do whats

required for each role. So if
the characters a werewolf and
described in a novel as being
built a certain way physically,
then you do your best to match
70

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

that. And of course if youre

playing a male stripper, then
the character should look a
certain way. If he doesnt, its
going to look weird.
When youre playing a
complex physical role, you
know: A) You want to be in
shape, and B) you dont want
to be self-conscious at any
moment. The characters Ive
played over the past few years
have required gym work.
Theres no gym work required
for the Pee-wee movie.
Well, Paul told me he did help you
get in shape on sethe said you
used him as a dumbbell and would
curl him. That seems like kind of a
light workout for you.

[Laughs] It depends on what

Pauls had for lunch!
Youve talked before about how
you think that sometimes the
appearance of being a jacked,
ripped guypeople cant get past
that. But also that it can be an
advantage because you have this
sort of secret weapon, like, Oh,
well, youre selling me short.

I dont live my life governed

by what anybody thinks about
me. I think if you do that,
youre making a huge mistake.
And youre going to be really
disappointed. I love great
scripts; I love great writing.
And when I read a great script
that makes me laugh or makes
me feel something, and I
identify with the character or
see myself playing the charactertheres something to

G r o o m i n g b y M i r a C h a i H y d e / T h e Wa l l G r o u p u s i n g D i o r H o m m e

F I R S T G L A N C E , Joe Manganiello and Pee-wee

Herman make for strange comrades. On second and
third glance, too. But its this extreme Abbott and
Costellolike pairing that sets up the belly laughs in the
Judd Apatowproduced lm Pee-wees Big Holiday,
airing on Netix in late March, in which the two star.
And the casting works ofscreen, too: The screen buddies
have been actual friends since meeting at an Emmy
party in 2011. Manganiello was thrilled to meet one of
his childhood heroes, and Pee-weeor Paul Reubens,
as the comedian is known in real lifehas been smitten
ever since. What I love about Joe so much is that hes
this amazing-looking guy, 6'5", and hes on the cover of
Mens Fitness, Reubens says. But when you peel all that
away, hes like a dorky nerd. A dorky nerd with the body
of Adonis, whos risen to fame in the past few years by
truly embodying the muscularity of Alcide the werewolf
on HBOs True Blood and Big Dick Richie of the Magic
Mike male-stripper franchise. He also grabbed a bit of
unclaimed spotlight when he married another perfect
physical specimen, Modern Family star Soa Vergara,
this past November. Here, as he kicks back and opens up
about fried chicken and burst biceps, we ask Manganiello
about everything from his newest projects in the pipeline
to his ongoing physical transformation to what his plans
may be for starting his own modern family.

I DONT
EMPHASIZE
AESTHETICS
ANYMORE.
WHEN YOURE
PLAYING
A MALE STRIPPER,
ITS ABOUT WHAT
YOU LOOK LIKE.
RIGHT NOW I
WANT TO FOCUS
ON BECOMING
A BETTER
ATHLETE.

itI gravitate to those roles. If

somebody wants to look at the
last, I dont know, two or three
years of my career and make
some sort of assumption about
me, I dont mind that. Ive been
acting for 22 or 23 years now,
so three or four or ve years in
that grand scheme of things is
a very small percentage of what
Ive done as an actor.
Ive done my best to portray
the roles Ive had the opportunity to play up until now.
People who watched True
Blood would ask me if I grew
up on a farm [Laughs], which
I thought was great because
the answer is no. And when I
did the Magic Mike movies,
everyone treated me like I
was a male stripper, talked to
me like I was a male stripper,
which couldnt be further from
my upbringingmy childhood,
adolescence, and educational
background, you know. Like
Im just not that guy.
So when people say something like that, its like, Great,
OK, then its working. I just go
after good material and people
can think whatever the fuck
they want.
Youve flirted with the superhero
genre. You played Flash Thompson
in the first Sam Raimi Spider-Man
(2002). Your name was mentioned
a lot when they were casting Man
of Steel (2013). Will there finally
be a superhero franchise with Joe
Manganiello as the lead?

I dont know, man. I mean,

what superheroes arent cast
yet? I missed that whole boom
because I was on True Blood.
All of the primary superheroes
were being cast when I was
contracted on a series. So I
wasnt even allowed to screentest, you know? They got mad
when I set up meetings with
directors about those projects.
Theyre all cast nowat least
all the ones I loved as a kid.
There might be an obscure
character left for me somewhere out there.
A couple of years ago you released
Evolution, a fitness book that told
your story of going from a skinny
teen to a guy of werewolf
proportions. Is your workout
regimen always evolving?

Year to year, I always make

specic goals that I want to

achieve. Ill get together with
my trainer [Ron Mathews]
and talk about what I want to
do for the next year. True Blood,
Magic Mike, those were very
specic as far as the training
regimen. I really had to train
like a bodybuilder would for
a competition.
Now Im getting close to 40,
but I still have some really
good years that I can push.
So I think its really about
becoming the best athlete I
can be. A lot of my workouts
switched to Olympic lifting,
CrossFit training, things called
EMOMs [short for Every
Minute, On the Minute] for
cardio, where you have to put
in a certain amount of work
and then you get to rest till
the end of the minute. But of
course, as you go on with the
workout the rest periods shrink
because youre getting more
tired, so it forces you to ght
for that; but its mostly about
becoming practically stronger.
Its lots of snatches, cleans,
deadliftsreal functional
athletic movements.
I dont emphasize aesthetics
anymore. When youre in
Magic Mike XXL playing
a male stripper, it is about
what you look like. But now
I can stop paying attention
to that and put an emphasis
on becoming a better athlete,
which is really where Im at.
Are there any specific athletic
goals youre working toward?

This past year Ive broken

almost every personal record
I had on every list, so that was
really fun. It would be fun to
maybe compete in, like, a team
CrossFit game. In the fall, Id
love nothing more than to have
some kind of role that requires
me to be as jacked as possible
just giganticand be able to
train that way and really pack
it on. But well see.
When you go through those sorts
of extreme physical transformations with your acting, are you
always taking the character home
with you?

Yeah. When I was doing

Sabotage [the 2014
action movie with Arnold

Schwarzenegger], Id go to the
gym, and I was 6'5", 250, with
tattoos all over meyou know,
you walk into a store and
people are like,Who the fuck is
this guy?! So Im still me, but
the way people react to me is
diferent. And its kind of fun.
Its fun to walk around and
look in the mirror and not
recognize yourself.
You tore your biceps while you
were shooting a lap-dance scene
for Magic Mike XXL a couple of
years back. How did you come
back from that injury? What
specific tactics did you use?

Well, I had to lay of of it for

months. And when I did
come back and start training,
I had to start really, really
light. Its a matter of healing
I had to baby it and take it
easy for a while. And its not
a quick injury to come back
fromyoure really starting
from scratch. I was injured
early on and had to continue
shootingyou know, the
show must go on. There
was no question. So I had to
continue performing on it.
But if youre in a situation
in which you dont need to
perform right away, Id say
take some time of. But I
also see people who make
mistakes about when its time
to get back to work and rehabilitate, and they dont. And then
they wind up in trouble. Id
urge people to take it easy, but
be on top of it when it comes
time to really get down to business and rehabilitate.
You have a reputation for being
a regular jeans-and-T-shirt guy.
But you cut a pretty striking figure
in a suit. Has your approach
toward style changed the older
youve gotten?

I dont think its changed at

all. There are a few designers
I like, and I buy everything
they have and thats it. Im not
really a shopper or the kind of
guy who takes a long time to
get ready. It takes me, like, 30
seconds and were ready to go.
I love John Varvatoshe
made my tux for my wedding.
I love John and his clothes.
Once a month Ill go into Johns
store and see what hes got
thats new and thats itIm

Continued on page 135

The right way to

ROAD

FOR:

DUSTING
THE PELOTON
ON THE OPEN
ROAD
T H E B I K E : The C5
is the first-ever endurance bike from aeroobsessed Cervlo.
Its comfortable and
well-balanced for long
rides and also one of
the lightest frames on
the market at just under
two pounds. ($7,000,
cervelo.com )

Giros
top-end helmet,
the Synthe MIPS,
blends low weight,
aerodynamics, and
cooling in unprecedented ways.
($270, giro.com )
T H E H E L M E T:

The
Smith PivLock Arena
Maxes are so light on
your nose you barely
notice them. ($160,
smithoptics.com )
THE SHADES:

T H E K I T : The aerodynamic Castelli Aero

Race 5.0 Houndstooth
RP Jersey saves you a
whopping 10 watts at
25 mph when compared
with a normal jersey
($130, rescue-project.
org ). The Sugoi RSE Bib
Short, with siliconeinfused legs, is secondskin-level comfort.
($230, store.sugoi.com )

PRO TIP:

FASHION IS
EVERY THING

MOUNTAINFRIENDLY TIRES
AND ROAD-READY,
ERGONOMIC
HANDLEBARS MEAN
ONE THING: YOU
CAN RIDE THIS RIG
ANYWHERE.

S t y l i n g b y M e g a n K e l l e y/A r t i s t U n i t e d ; G r o o m i n g b y A m y L a w s o n /A r t i s t U n t i e d

APRIL 2016

MENS FITNESS

76

FOR:

CYCLOCROSS

PRO TIP:

Q Letting out a
little airto lower
tire pressure a
few PSIsgives
you more traction,
smooths out the
roughest roads, and
reduces the risk of
punctures.

COMMUTING

FOR:

CRUISING YOUR WAY TO WORK

(SANS BIKE SHARE)
With the
speed of a road bike
and the durability of a
commuter, the Marin
Fairfax SC6 DLX
also has commuterfriendly features like
fenders, racks, a
low- maintenance carbon
belt drive, an 11-speed
internal hub, and a
dynamo-powered
front light. ($2,419,
marin bikes.com )
THE BIKE:

An adjustable venting system

makes the Bell Annex
a great year-round
commuter lid, no matter
the temperature.
($125, bellhelmets.com )
T H E H E L M E T:

The Smith
Lowdown ChromaPop
(not pictured) blends
street-friendly styling
with high-tech polarized
lenses that enhance
color and clarity.
($209, smithoptics.com )

THE SHADES:

T H E K I T : The slim-fit
Betabrand Oxnard
Button-Down Shirt is
every bit as work-ready
as your stiffly starched
oxford, but its made
from a supersoft and
breathable organic
cotton/hemp blend.
($88, beta brand.com )

PRO TIP:

The Chrome Storm

Cobra 2.0s three-layer
waterproof shell not
only keeps you dry but
also has articulated
shoulders that reveal
reflective accents that
disappear when you
step off the bike ($200,
chromeindustries.com ).
Made from a stretchy
Japanese denim and
sporting articulated
knees and a diamond
crotch gusset, Swrve
Kaihara Denim Slim
Jeans are the ideal
stealth activewear
($150, swrve.com ). DZR
Mechanic bike shoes
classic skate styling
belies bike-friendly
features like hidden
cleat mounts and a nylon
midsole shank thats
variably stiff for pedaling
power transfer yet
flexible for easy walking
($99, dzrshoes
.com ). With its 25-liter
capacity, the Inside Line
Equipment Default bag
hits the sweet spot for
everyday commuting
loads. The outside is
sturdy 1000D Cordura,
the inside is lined with
waterproof vinyl, and the
thing is flat-out stylish.
($240, ilequipment.com )

Q Dont be that guy

who stuffs his bike
into the back of a
taxi every time he
punctures a tire. Get
a tire-repair kit (for
options and instructions, visit mens
fitness.com/bikes )
and travel with extra
tubes. And what boss
wont forgive you
when youre late for
blowing a tire?

WELCOME TO THE CYCLING

WORK-WEAR REVOLUTION,
STARRING STRETCHY DENIM
AND BREATHABLE SHIRTS.

FOR:

MOUNTAIN

Really, a
hardtail? you ask. The

THE BIKE:

may not have rear

suspension, but it does
rock its three-inch-wide
Ground Control 27.5-plus
tires, which can run at
low pressure to improve
traction and soak up the
trails hard edges.

The
is a merino-poly
blend that breathes well
and holds up to abuse
T H E K I T:

These full-featured (if

pricey)
from Acre are
light, water-repellent,
fast drying, yet still soft
The

The
offers a
unique ventilation and
unibody construction, full
coverage, a goggle-strap
keeper, and a Recco
reflector to help search
and rescue find you faster
if things go wrong.

T H E H E L M E T:

THE SHADES:

The elec-

tronic
shades transition from
dark to light (and back
again)thats from 16 to
64% light transmissionin
a tenth of a second.

(not pictured) is a waterproof hardshell but with

the ventilation, stretchability, and softness of
a softshell. Waterproof
pockets keep your gear
dry, and reflectors help
you stay safe on any road
You never know
what lies ahead on the
trail, but rest assured the
shoe can
handle it with its grippy
outsole for bushwhacks
and an armored toe
for rock strikes.

EXPECT DIRT RIDING TO KEEP YOU

ON YOUR TOES: THANKS TO SUDDEN
CLIMBS AND UBIQUITOUS OBSTACLES,
YOU WONT BE SEATED IN THE SADDLE
FOR VERY LONG.

PRO TIP:

Q Keep looking ahead

at where you want
to go when mountain
biking, not at the
tree/rock/log/
you-name-it that
youre hoping to
dodge; your body
subconsciously goes
where your eyes are
looking. Trust us.

The battle to be

82

After a vicious spinal

condition nearly
derailed his 2015
season, New York
Mets superstar third
baseman David Wright
knows only one thing
stands in the way of a
t and healthy future
both on and off the
diamond: his own
body. But thanks to
a comprehensive,
grueling rehaband a
new marathon
game-day routine
hes refusing to give up
without a ght.
BY RON BERLER
PHOTOGR APHS BY
JOSH RITCHIE

Wright

again

[FIRST] I MOPED
AROUND FOR
DAYS. THEN I
DECIDED IF I
WANTED TO PLAY
AGAIN, I HAD TO
GET TO WORK.

Mattingly retired because of it. Former

Phillies and Mets star Lenny Dykstra tried
to correct his condition with surgery, but he
never played again. Cooper Manning, the
eldest of the football Manning brothers and
an all-state high school wide receiver, never
made it onto the Ole Miss gridiron because
of his stenosis. Last year, Oregon State
sophomore defensive back Dashon Hunt
retired after being diagnosed with it after an
on-eld injury.
The doctors told me I could play and have
a very long, successful career and never have
a neck injury or I could go out on the rst
day of contact at practice and risk paralyzing myself or dying, says
Hunt, in a phone interview from campus. He quit the team, he says,
because no sport is worth dying over or getting paralyzed from the
neck down over.
Wright, though, is determined to continue playing. His neurosurgeon, Robert Watkins, M.D., a preeminent Los Angeles spinal
physician whose patients have included former major leaguers
Dave Wineld, Reggie Jackson, and Mattingly, is condent that,
through a targeted and intensive physical therapy and rehab
regimen, Wright will continue to return to the eld safely and with
full mobility.
But he cautioned Wright last year it would require enormous
amounts of workresulting in a comprehensive, three-part
routine involving untold hours of stretching, core work, and resistance trainingmore than in any program hed ever attempted.

Far down the right-eld line at Tradition Field, the New York
Mets Port St. Lucie, FL, spring-training ballpark, a yellow,
buff-colored cement blockhouse sits tucked beneath the
grandstand. This is the Barwis Methods Training Center, run
by Mike Barwis, the teams strength and conditioning adviser.
Its a utilitarian, warehouselike space: The ceiling is black, the
walls unadorned, the constant beat of the hip-hop loud and
forceful. Its a serious place, meant for work. Only a handful of clients are
here at 9 a.m. one chilly February morning, a week before the Mets pitchers and
catchers are due to report to camp, and one of them is the teams captain and third
baseman, David Wright. Decked out in Nike, he seems to be in prime physical
conditionpecs hard, lats rm, calves taut. Ready for baseball? Hes not.
Theres a reason that Wright, a 12-year veteran and one of the
games best-known superstars, has been putting the work in here
four days a week since the center reopened just after the holidays
in early January. The 33-year-old missed four months of play
last season after being diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis, a
narrowing of the spinal canal that compresses and inames the
nerves running through the spine, causing sharp, immobilizing
pain in the lower back that in some cases extends to the legs. He
hasnt had a pain-free day sinceand wont, for however long his
career lasts. To play at all, during the season he must put himself
through intensive two- to three-hour workouts every day.
The fact is, Wright, who in person is open-faced, generous, and
disarmingly down-to-earth, will deal with back pain for the rest of
his life.
Spinal stenosis generally afects men and women over 50 and
is usually the result of either arthritis or the wear and tear of
aging. And though unusual in younger people, it has cut short
several prominent sports careers. Former New York Yankee Don

When Wright wakes up this February morning, his back

feels, he says, a little cranky. Simply standing up straight can

Its a long, lonely road to opening day.

In early February, the New York Mets captain and third baseman works out at the Barwis Center in Port St. Lucie, FL.

trigger pain. Its how his back feels most morningssomewhat

stiff, with limited rotation and flexibility through his core. He
arrives at the Barwis facility around 8:30 a.m., eats a light breakfast, and climbs aboard a stationary bike set to low resistance. Its
the rst step in a 30-minute warmup to prep for his subsequent
2-hour rehab workout. When he breaks a sweat, he dismounts
and further loosens his back and limbs in a stretch cage. A series of
general arm, leg, and core stretches follow.
At this point, Lucas Duda, who, at 6'4" and 250-plus pounds, is
the Mets current mountain of a rst baseman, ambles by, ush
with good health. You are so pale! he jokes. Wright merely shrugs
and keeps working, and Duda heads out the door.
Theres nothing Wright can point tono collision, no awkward
slide, no violent swingthat triggered his condition. When
he reported to Port St. Lucie in early January 2015, he felt ne.
Within weeks, though, his back began to bother him. He attributed
it to normal spring-training soreness and played through it, not
missing any time. But by the beginning of the season, he recalls
now, it just hadnt gone away and I didnt really know what it was.
He didnt tell the team trainers or physicians, he says, because he
was desperate to stay on the eld. Hed missed parts of three of the
previous four seasons with a stress fracture to a spinal vertebra, a
strained right hamstring, and a jammed right shoulder and was
determined not to lose playing time againparticularly now, with
a Mets team that seemed poised to win.
The 2015 season began, the Mets were of to a good start, and
Wright, the face of the franchisea seven-time All-Star in the
middle of an eight-year, $138 million contractwas playing well,
batting .333 with a .371 on-base percentage. Then, on April 14, in
the bottom of the eighth inning against Philadelphia, Wright led
of with a single. A few pitches later, he stole second base. He had
trouble getting there. A couple of feet before the bag, I just felt

my hamstring grab, he told reporters afterward. He pulled himself

from the game. The next day the Mets placed Wright on the 15-day
disabled list. Wright was despondent but saw in it a potential silver
lining: I thought the two-week rest would help my back, he said.
It didnt. Once the hamstring had healed, the club sent him to
Port St. Lucie to resume baseball activities, the nal element of his
rehab. His rst day on the eld, the trainer asked him to run at 50%
efort. Immediately he felt stabs of pain in his lower back and legs.
He couldnt continue.
An MRI revealed the spinal stenosis. The team doctors told
him he had a storm track of symptoms, including a smaller-thannormal spinal canal hed had since birth that had been further
compressed by a series of calcium deposits accumulated from his
fractured vertebrae. Until that moment, Wright had never heard
of the condition. Dont Google it; its going to scare you, advised
David Altchek, M.D., the Mets medical director. Wright did
anyway and instantly regretted it. He asked when he could return
to the eld. Not anytime soon, Altchek told him.
I moped around for a few days, says Wright. And then I decided
if I wanted to play again, I had to get to work.
Watkins, the spine expert, believes in an aggressive treatment approach to spinal stenosis. He also believes that Wrights
condition is ultimately less about his smaller-than-normal
spinal canal than the two decades hes spent constantly twisting
and torquing on the baseball eld. He injured the L4, L5 discs,
Watkins says. You injure a joint in your backit doesnt need to be
a massive herniationand that afects everything you do. As soon
as you bend forward, the weight of your body times the distance
back to that joint is huge leverage forces. In the days following his
April 2015 diagnosis, he gave Wright a series of six bilateral steroid
epidural injections to quiet the compression on the nerves that ran
Continued on page 132

exactly when the humble burger

stopped being dened as just a greasy stack of beef and
cheeseor, as Los Angeles superchef Roy Choi calls it, the
head of the snake, the snake being our historically awful
American diet. But were glad as hell it happened and that
the better-burger trend is spreading: Colorados Larkburger
chain turns out sustainably sourced tuna burgers; fresh-meat
mecca Umami Burger uses black beans, turkey, and ahi tuna;
Choi and partner Daniel Patterson just opened L.A.s Locol,
with its insanely delicious, wildly inventive veggie version;
even Carls Jr., which gave the world the Tex-Mex Bacon
Thickburger, now ofers a low-cal turkey option. So,
mid-revolution, we sought out some of Americas best chefs
to help us assemble the ultimate at-home burgers, each
with fresh ingredients, low-fat protein, and a healthier bun.
(Whether you add fries is up to you.)

THE TURKEY
BURGER
THAT ISNT
TASTELESS
QStore-bought turkey
burgers are notoriously
dry, but our version adds
grilled onion for flavor and
texture, tomato for richness and moisture, a double shot of umami with soy
and Worcestershire for
savoriness, and is served
on a toasty English muffin. But dont overcook.
Most people cook turkey way past the point
of no return, says Chris
Siversen, chef and owner
of Burg in Newark, NJ. If
using thigh meat, it stays a
little pink naturally, which
doesnt necessarily mean
its undercooked.

SERVES 4

cup minced onion,

grilled
1 lbs freshly ground
turkey (preferably
from thighs)
2 tbsp tomato paste or
tomato puree
2 tsp soy sauce
tsp Worcestershire
sauce

Traditional toppings of
your choice (such as
coleslaw, pictured)
Mix grilled onion into
ground turkey with the
other ingredients.
Form into patties -inch
thick, indenting the
centers. Refrigerate
for 30 minutes to firm
them up. Cook until the
middles are opaque,
about 4 minutes per
side.

THE ULTIMATE SPICY TUNA BURGER

TOPPINGS

INSTRUCTIONS

INGREDIENTS

88

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

THE PORK AND SHRIMP DIM SUM BURGER

INSTRUCTIONS

INGREDIENTS

TOPPINGS

THE MEATIEST VEGGIE BURGER YOUVE EVER HAD

TOPPINGS

90

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

THE BREEZY, CALIFORNIA-STYLE CHICKEN BURGER

INGREDIENTS

1/
3

TOPPINGS

INSTRUCTIONS

Basic Gets Better

Nothing eleva tes the
most indispensable
unifor m in yo u r c l o s e t
your favorite white tee
a nd je a ns l i ke th e c r i s p
p ol is h of a dar k b l az e r.
Jacket: SAMUELSOHN
T- s h i r t a n d p ocket sq u are:
TOMMY HILFIGER
Jeans: LEVIS

Blake Jenner, star of Richard Linklater s

new baseball comedy, Ever ybody Wants
Some, takes the most classic item in any
guy s closetthe nav y blazerand shows how
to knock ever y look out of the park . Well,
except for one. (Striped ties, ox ford shir ts,
and pleated khakis need not apply.)
By John Mather
Photographs by Jeff Lipsky

blazers

Razor Sharp
Never be afraid to
p a ir a s p or ts j ac ke t w i th
a humbl e ho o d i e . Its
l e s s for ma l b u t h as th e
r ig ht a moun t o f e d g e .
Ja c ke t : J O S E P H A B B O U D
Ho o d i e: V I NC E CA MUTO
T- s h i r t : B O S S

Sport Style
Ye s , th e righ t blazer
and your favorite piece
o f nyl o n athleticwear
c a n p l ay ver y well
together.
Ja cket: J. HILBUR N
Vest: KENNETH COLE
T- s h i r t : B O S S
Pa n t s : E F M

Classic Cool
A m od e r n sp in o n a
c o u n t r y - c l ub classic: a
sophisticated dark shir t
and knit tie. ( Trust us:
I t s way c oo ler and m o re
ve rs a ti l e than a silk tie.)
Ja cket: M I CHAE L KOR S
S hir t, pa nts , and watch:
TOMMY HILFIGER
Pocket squ are: ALE X MILL
Tie: THE TIE BAR
S n e a ke rs : F RY E

Want it?
See page 135.

Easy Does It
The most idiotproof
way to appear smar t,
confident, and sex y :
We a r a crisp w h ite sh ir t
wi th a nav y blazer.
Jacket: TOMMY HILFIGER
Shirt: BOSS
Pa n t s : E X P R E S S
S hoes a nd p o cket square:
TOMMY HILFIGER

case
The
for

What if we told you

that beer was no longer
your fitness bogeyman
that knocking back a
few cold ones after
derail your streng th
gains or destroy your
quest for peak per formance? Well, thats
what we learned from
the super fit guys at
Colorados New Belg ium
Brewing Company
and if its true, were
definitely drinking to it .

beer

The

night before

100

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

G r o o m i n g b y L e i l a n i D r u m f o r M a x i m u m Ta l e n t

setting off on their hundred-mile ultramarathons through Mexicos Copper Canyon, the
Tarahumara people, the greatest distance runners in the world, prepare not with monkish
abstemiousness but Dionysian abandon, purging themselves of their secret lusts and desires
by pounding tequila made from rattlesnake corpses and a nutrient-packed corn beer called
tesgino. Then, according to Christopher McDougalls 2009 best-seller, Born to Run, they sleep
with one anothers spouses and wrestle half-naked in the dirt. When they awake the next day,
jocks working thereI begin to wonder if
puried and hung over, they run.
these guys, from their magical perch in the
Nine hundred miles to their north, along the Colorado Front Range, the Tarahumara have a
Rockies, have solved one of the most unsolvkindred spirit in yet another unique tribe committed to the oft-intertwined joys of imbibition
able riddles in tness, unlocking a secret
and exertionthough, admittedly, without the swinging and wrestling bouts.
that men the world over are all dying to
Theyre the employees of New Belgium Brewing Company, the fourth-largest craft beer maker
know: Can you really be t and be a regular
in the U.S.guys like Shawn Hines, New Belgiums 44-year-old Pharaoh of Phlow and a
beer drinker? Is it possible to indulge in
competitive distance runner. Before Hines goes for one of his regular evening trail runs, he rst
your favorite lager afteror even duringa
steels himself with two pints of a session IPA or a Czech-style pilsner, a carefully calibrated quancrazy workout and not erase all your hardtity that gives him a buzz that, he claims, enhances rather than impairs.
earned gains (as so much science has led
It creates a nice headspace, he says. Its a little carbo-loading. When Hines gets home, he
us to believe)? And are there beers that are
takes of his headlamp, gives his wife a kiss, and reaches for a recovery beersomething maltier
more ab-friendly, while others should be
and bolder, with a little more teeth. The guys nothing if not consistent: The evening before
avoided like a deep-dish pizza?
one of his 50-mile ultramarathons, he drinks beer. The moment he
With those questions (and more) in mind, I decide to pack my best
nishes one of his 50-mile ultramarathons, he drinks beer. Even
outdoor workout gearand a sizable bottle of Adviland set of to
during his 50-mile ultramarathons, he drinks beer.
nd out for myself.
When I used to do bike racing, theyd give you a water bottle that
was half water and half at Coke, Hines explains. I was like, I dont
like Coke, but I like beer. Now, a couple of times during a race,
Beer Bellies Need Not Apply
Hines will reach for an eight-ounce squirt bottle lled with a slurry of
When I arrive at New Belgium, in Fort Collins, CO, its 8 a.m. on a
water and black lager. Midway through a race, its so awesome and
Wednesday morning, the temperature outside is 21, and plumes of
uplifting, he says. I dont know if it gives me any kind of a boost from
steam rise of the giant chrome tanks outside. But inside, I nd nine
a physical standpoint, but from a mental standpoint, theres someNew Belgium employees sweating as if they were in the tropics as
thing satisfying about saying, Im having a beer right now. Its like a
they throw themselves into mountain climbers, back rows, and hop
shot of Prozac right to the frontal lobe.
kicks as part of a ski-conditioning class. A few hours later, I walk
Hines may drink a lot of beer, but hes hardly chugging to the level of
through a cavernous warehouse where New Belgium ages its sour
a Tarahumarian hangover. He seldom drinks more than three beers
beers to nd, tucked into a corner, the prison gym, a weight room
a day, and his nightly intake is spread over many hours. He doesnt
surrounded by a chain-link fence, where employees squat plated
look like a Joe Six-Pack, eitherunless youre talking about his abs.
barbells and rip of pullups on rock-climbing grips. Outside, on the
During race season hes a muscular 147 pounds coiled around a 5'9"
brewerys 50-acre property, I walk a cyclocross track where some 300
frame, with a mere 11% body fat. His tattooed arms look like theyre
competitors gather on spring and fall evenings to go all-out across the
forged from iron. If you happen to meet him in a dive bar along
courses mounds, ravines, and jagged wooden obstacles.
Cameron Pass in the Rockies, you may, at rst glance, assume hes not
I dont nd many beer bellies at New Belgium. Instead, I meet
only an ultramarathoner but also a Navy SEAL between tours.
lots of people who preach about the uniqueness of the culture.
In reality, Hines has a day job thats much more fun. As Pharaoh of
New Belgium is 100% employee-owned, and everyone I meet there
Phlow, hes New Belgiums events coordinator. Wherever the brewery
seems highly motivated to bust their asses all day longwhether that
is shilling its products, such as Fat Tire amber ale or Blue Paddle
involves cleaning out a mash tun, Excel-jockeying a sales forecast, or,
pilsner, Hines is likely to be there, setting up makeshift bars, pouring
like Hines, promoting the product.
pints, and spreading the gospel of New Belgium. When I rst hear
But New Belgiums employees also clearly relish the fruits of their
about him, it makes sense to me that one of the companys public faces
laborsand have ample chances to do so. Every day, employees
would be some ripped, superhealthy guy. But when I learn that Hines
pile into the tasting room at 4:30 p.m. for a complimentary shifty.
isnt an outlierthat hes one of several hypert, beer-evangelizing
And, at the end of every week, each employee heads home with a
free 12-pack. That culture also means lots and lots of tness. The
New Belgium bike racks are full, and often those shifties segue into
20-mile group rides. A typical weekend for the most active New
Belgium employees ends with inputting their race times and personal
SCIENCE TELLS YOU THAT
bests into a companywide tness database. And, while New Belgium
ALCOHOL DEHYDRATES YOU,
doesnt go out of its way to hire impressively credentialed athletes, it
DEPLETES YOUR GLUCOSE, AND IS
has amassed more than its fair share.
A TERRIBLE SOURCE OF CARBS.
BUT IS THAT THE WHOLE STORY?
When I arrive, I talk with Ryan Van Fleet, a slim marathoner and

triathlete who has run the 7,800-foot Pikes Peak Ascent, and Mike
Woodard, a state-champion cyclist whos ridden 52,000 miles over
the past six years. Later, on the phone, I catch up with Brendan Beers,
an appropriately named veteran marathoner, and Jay Richardson,
a nine-time Ironman and current CrossFit competitor, both of
whom work at New Belgiums new Asheville, NC, branch. There
are many others, such as Aaron the Professor LaVanchy, who lls
his time with multiday high-elevation rides and backcountry skiing
expeditions. A few years back, in fact, Hines, Van Fleet, Beers, and
Richardson competed in a 24-hour ultramarathon relay, a 200-mile
race from Fort Collins to Steamboat Springs that would test even an
Olympians mental and physical endurance. The New Belgium team
won, averaging a 8:24-mile pace. No one would have guessed these
guys worked in a brewery. They didnt have ample beards or jaundiced pallors or even a trace of belly. No, they might as well have been
a bunch of gringo Tarahumara.
Naturally, they celebrated their victory with cases of beer.

Hey, Arnold Knocked Back Pitchers, Too

Of course, mixing booze and tness is anything but new. Hippocrates
supposedly counseled his Ancient Greek Olympian patients to get
drunk once or twice to cure their sore muscles, and Olympic marathoner Thomas Hicks, who won gold at the 1904 games, drank a
mixture of brandy, rat poison, and egg whites to numb the pain of
running. In 1938, a group of British colonial oicers stationed in
Kuala Lumpur began a Monday evening running club known as the
Hash House Harriers, whose stated objectives were a) to promote
physical tness among its members, b) to get rid of weekend hangovers, c) to acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it with beer, and d) to
persuade the older members that they are not as old as they feel. The
Harriers, whose members often refer to their group as a drinking
club with a running problem, have continued to this day. They now
have 2,000 worldwide chapters and some 70,000 members.
But its not just the Harriers. Ever done a Tough Mudder? Then
you probably enjoyed the keg party afterward. Ever try CrossFit?
No doubt the faithful invited you for a post-box pint. Even Arnold
Schwarzenegger used to recover from the gym with a pitcher of beer
(along with an entire roast chicken). And studies have consistently
shown hes no aberration: One nationwide survey found that heavy
drinkers exercised about 10 minutes more per week than moderate
drinkerswho, in turn, exercised 10 minutes more per week than
teetotalers. In other words, if youre serious about your workouts,
theres a good chance youre also serious about your lagers and ales.
But therein lies the rub. As every t guy knows, if you whisper the
word beer to a card-carrying nutritionist, hell shriek, Empty calories! And no matter how much we all love it, beer has a fairly poor
reputation among those who focus on strength gains, personal bests,
and optimizing peak performance. At rst glance, the case against
beer seems practically open-shut.
Alcohol is a diuretic, so beer dehydrates you. It depletes your glucose
levels, stripping your muscles of power, and inhibits an enzyme that
fuels recovery in your fast-twitch anaerobic bers. Contrary to what
guys like Hines would have you believe, the buzz from beer doesnt
give an athlete any performance boost. (Depending on the quan-

tity, itll do the exact opposite.) Beer isnt even a particularly good
source of post-workout carbohydrates (a can has only about 12 grams
of carbs), which is supposed to be its saving grace. Beer has been
seen as a good source of many nutrients and has sometimes been
used in preparation for endurance events or to replenish nutrients
following competition, the American College of Sports Medicines
current comment on Alcohol and Athletic Performance reads.
Actually, orange juice supplies four times the potassium plus almost
three times the carbohydrates, and it would take 11 beers to obtain the
B-vitamin recommended daily allowance.
Ouch. But is that the whole story?

The Case for the Post-Workout Recovery Beer

Over the past two decades, researchers have consistently come to
two contradictory conclusions about beer: First, drinking lots of
alcohol after working out can signicantly hamper the bodys ability
to recover, especially when it isnt supplemented with food and
water. Second, drinking a small or moderate amount of alcohol after
working outespecially with a mealdoes not signicantly hamper
the bodys ability to recover, and, some claim, may even have benets.
Take one much-cited study in which researchers in Australia found
that test subjects who consumed alcohol after working out reduced
their myobrillar protein synthesis by nearly 40%. The results led to
headlines like The Truth About the Post-Workout Beer (it wasnt
good) and If You Booze After Exercise, Your Muscles Lose. But the
studys subjects werent just drinkingthey were getting hammered,
guzzling six screwdrivers during a four-hour period following a highintensity workout of cycling and weight training. If you binge-drink
screwdrivers after working out, consider yourself warned.
And consider the 2012 doctoral thesis of New Zealand physiologist Matthew Barnes, Ph.D., perhaps the worlds leading expert on
the recovery beer, which, upon a quick glance, seems to be very bad
news for the likes of Shawn Hines. In the papers abstract, Barnes
writes that the ndings presented in this thesis provide evidence that
the consumption of alcohol, even at volumes considerably less than
those regularly consumed by sportspeople, has deleterious efects on
muscle function when consumed soon after strenuous eccentric exercise. There doesnt seem to be a lot of wiggle room there.
But that conclusion was only one of many that Barnes came to in
his years of research. When I contact him to learn more, he tells me
hes far from an anti-beer scold. When Barnes has studied the efects
of drinking alcohol after normal exerciseresistance training and
rugby gameshe hasnt found very many deleterious efects. In fact,
hes found that post-workout alcohol consumption has no impact
on hormone responses, hydration status, or athletic-performance
measures. Personally, I believe that if normal post-exercise nutrition strategiesrehydration and food consumptionare adhered to
prior to alcohol consumption, there may be no detrimental impact of
consuming alcohol, even at quite a high dose, Barnes tells me.
He isnt saying its OK to go get shit-faced, though. The corrosive
long-term efects of excessive alcohol consumption should be familiar
to everyone, and his if normal post-exercise nutrition strategies are
adhered to caveat is a biggie. If you guzzle an entire growler before a
post-workout meal, youll regret it. But his larger point stands: You

AFTER TWO PINTS, IM NURSING A GOOD

BUZZ. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY BIKE FEELS
LIGHTER AND SWIFTER, AND I BEGIN TO PUSH
MYSELF TO THE FRONT OF THE PACK.
102

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

Continued on page 134

THE RIGHT WAY TO COOL DOWN

WITH A COLD ONE
The world s leading beer researchers agree: Downing up to two beers after normal exercisesay, lifting or playing
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QIn general, IPAs dont mix with workouts. Their

ERDINGER
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too bitter; better to have one with dinner. But
Founders remarkable session IPA is light on
booze and bitterness, while remaining strong,
sharp, and earthy. Just what you want after a
mud-caked two hours on the rugby pitch.

QSure, the words non-alcoholic wheat beer

dont make us very thirsty, either. But Erdinger
has the crisp taste of a classic German Weissbier,
and a study of Erdinger-guzzling marathoners in
Munich found that the beer reduced inflammation
and strengthened the immune system.

QWhen David April, co-founder of Philadelphias

At 5.6% ABV, 1554 is a little boozier than a beer

STIEGL RADLER GRAPEFRUIT

Physiologists recommend that you supplement

scientist would recommend for an ideal

post-sweat libation. But its chock-full of vitaminB-rich malt, and unlike many dark beers, it has a
light body and a sweet finish. New Belgium ultramarathoner-in-residence Shawn Hines likes it so
much that he sips it during races.

your recovery beer with food and water, but why

not have all three in one bottle? The radler style
half blonde lager, half fruit sodawas originally
created to quench the thirst of Bavarian cyclists,
and Stiegls grapefruit version is a perfect
summer century-ride capper.

JARREN VINK

Fishtown Beer Runners (one of the most

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local Walt Wit, a hazy, citrusy, 4.5%
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Send your questions to ask@mensfitness.com

Wise up

Ask Mens Fitness

A

J I M J . , S L I P P E RY R O C K , PA

John Lucarelli

PRACTICE THESE
AT-HOME MOVES FIRST,
AGENT UTAH, THEN GO
OUT AND CATCH YOUR
FIRST TUBE .

APRIL 2016

MENS FITNESS

105

O Ask Mens Fitness

Warm weathers herehow

do I make that whole shoes
without socks look work,
especially at the office?
PETE L., ROBINSON, IL

ITS GOOD
LITTLE ANKLE
(BUT STAY
AWAY FROM
CAPRI
TERRITORY).

SHORTY
THE
BARBER
ENLIGHTENED
ADVICE FROM
GROOMING EXPERT
SHORTY MANIACE

MENS FITNESS

S T E V E T. , N O M E , A K

QGreat question.
Theres nothing
worse than someone
bathed in cologne.
It makes me want
to puke. Modern
men want to smell
nice, but if a guys
drowning in cologne,
its like hes trying to
maska night out at a
whorehouse.
Heres how to use
it: If its a spray, dont
point it at yourself
spray it in the air and
walk through it. If its
not a spray, just use
your fingertips to
dab it really lightly.
Good colognes are
superconcentrated,
so dont get too much
in one spot. If you
think you overdo it,
ask a friend wholl
be honest. If he says
you stinkwell.
APRIL

2016

And dont spray it

on your nuts or assholenobody goes
down there to taste
your cologne.
Also, what do your
hair products and
deodorant smell
like? Try neutral
scents for those
otherwise itll all
clash and youll
smell like Sephora.
If youre going
on a date to a fancy
restaurant, too much
cologne can interfere
with the smell of the
winemy wife is a
sommelierand the
food, so Id skip it.
Finally, dont use
cologne to cover
body odor. If you
need to deodorize
your body, take a
fucking shower.
Shorty Maniace is the
owner of J.P. Kempt Barber
& Social in San Francisco.
E-mail him at askshorty
@mensfitness.com.

SEAN H., SAN FRANCISCO

FOR MORE
GROOMING
TIPS, GO TO
MENSFITNESS
.COM.

QWe see you live

in San Francisco,
the site of the devastating 7.8-magnitude quake of April
1906 (hence this
months temblor
awareness), so it
makes sense youre
concerned.
But noif tremors
start, dont head for
a door frame, says
California state
geologist John
Parrish, Ph.D.
Doorways arent that
strong in todays
homes, he explains.
Plus, youre actually morelikely to
be hurt by the door
swinging wildly.
Instead, get under
a table or deskto
avoid falling debris
and hang on to it.

If youre outside,
its important to protect yourself from
tumbling wreckage,
like building facades,
windows, collapsing overpasses,
electrical wires, and
tree branches, says
Parrish. If youre on
a city street, crouch
down by a parked
car or get to an area
away from buildings.
If youre in an open
area, like a park, stay
in the opendont
duck under a tree,
since it may topple
or lose branches.
And if youre
driving? On an open
road, pull over and
stay in the car till the
ground-shakings
over; dont stop in
a tunnel or under
an overpass that
could collapse. And
if youre on a bridge,
stop immediately
unless youre very
near its end, in which
case get of, then
stop by the roadside.

J e n n i f e r L i v i n g s t o n / Tr u n k A r c h i v e

106

How can I apply

cologne without
overdoing it?

April is Earthquake
Preparedness
Month, so tell me:
When I feel the rumblings, is standing in
a doorway really the
safest thing to do?

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O Ask Mens Fitness

Where should I
stash my valuables
in case my place
gets robbed? Say, a
hollowed-out book,
or an old coffee can?
PAU L D . , C H I CAG O , I L

WANT WASHBOARD ABS?

HOW ABOUT
YOU DONT DO
1,000 OF
THESE A DAY?

I have a friend who brags about

being able to do a thousand
crunches every day. Is that a
good thing to aim for?

Bowlings a cool
thing to do on a date.
How can I make my
game a little more
impressive?

BEN R., KICKAPOO, KS

108

MENS FITNESS

Right up your alley.

Make gutter balls a
thing of the past with
our quickie bowling
primer.

1) Pick the heaviest

ball you can handle.
Itll swing better and
knock down more
pins, not ricochet
off like a lighter ball.
Most guys need
at least 14 pounds;
women, at least 10.
Also, use the one
with the smallest
holes you can fit in.

3) Keep your eye on

the ball, not the pins.
There are arrows on
the lanetry to roll
the ball over the second mark in from
the gutter, toward
the head pin. Reach
your hand toward
the mark, then up
to the ceiling. Once
you let go, watch the
ball to see if it hits
the mark. If it doesnt,
move your feet left
or right or pick a
different mark.
4) Dont think you
have to throw the
ball faster or harder
to get a strike. Like
billiards, bowling
is a rolling game of
angles, not speed or
power. Have fun!

F r o m t o p : D o u g I n g l i s h / Tr u n k A r c h i v e ; D . H u r s t /A l a m y

If your goal is to develop a six-pack

or increase core strength, there
are more efective uses of your
time, says Jared Beckstrand, D.P.T.,
owner of Tone and Tighten in Farmingham,
UT. Our take-no-prisoners training director
Sean Hyson puts it even more succinctly:
No, its ridiculous and way more work than
you need. How so? Creating core strength
is like building a room with four walls, says
Beckstrand. You want all those walls to be
as strong as possible so you have a solid,
well-built room. Its the same with the core
muscles of the belly, sides, and lower back.
Focusing only on making the frontyour
absvery strong will ultimately leave you
with a very weak core. So dont forget about
your obliques, Beckstrand says (he recommends side planks and Russian twists for
those) and lower rectus (try hanging leg
raises and scissor/flutter kicks). Also,
Hyson adds, that many crunches could
injure your back over time. But lucky for you,
you can turn to Better Abs, No Back Pain
(page 114) for the best exercises to strengthen
your entire core without doing yourself any
damage. Finally: Not for nothing, Hyson
says, but it sounds like your friend has way
too much time on his hands there in Kickapoo. Yes, its important to have abs, but its
even more important to have a life.

BART S., ANTELOPE, OR

QYeah, theres nothing like a gutter ball

to ruin a guys datenight mojo. So try
these tips from certified bowling coach
Cheryl Smith:

2) Hold it right. Pick

the ball up with two
hands; put your middle and ring fingers
into it, then your
thumb. Bend your
elbow at hip height,
so your arm looks like
an L, then throw, letting the thumb leave
the ball first while the
fingers lift and roll it.

QYou have to think

like a crook, says
Thomas G. Martin of
Martin Investigative
Services in Newport
Beach, CA. Ninety
percent of criminals head to the
bedroom, so thats
out, he says. His
top spots: an empty
can in the kitchen
cupboard, or a wall
socket thats really
a mini safe (available
cheap online).
No one will ever
look there.
Says PI and
author Colleen
Collins, Never keep
valuables under a
mattressor in a fat
envelope labeled Las
Vegas! Better: in one
of a stack of boxes
marked Bathroom
or Old Clothes, or a
hollowed-out book
in a big bookcase:
Burglars wont
waste time browsing
titles, she says. But
thumbs-down on
the cofee can idea:
Most cofee comes
in paper or plastic
now, so metal could
look conspicuous.
Other clever
niches weve found:
A medicine cabinet
thats been inset into
a wall, and the door
replaced or covered
with a large painting
or photo (brilliant,
right?); the (new) bag
of an old vacuum;
and a tennis ball
thats been slit to
insert small items.
But, warning:
Keep track of your
hideaways! List
them in a secure
digital file, and let
a trusted relative
or friend in on it, or
your treasures could
be goners.

O Ask Mens Fitness

My girlfriend is good buddies

with an old boyfriend and sees
him sometimes for dinner, just
the two of them. She swears
its nothing romantic...Should
I be worried? M A T T T . , P H I L A D E L P H I A , P A
Should you be worried? Yes, always
and about everythingexcept for
this. From ISIS to Donald Trump,
there are plenty of things to keep
you up at night, but whether or not your girlfriend still has feelings for her ex shouldnt be
one of them. Why? For one thing, because
even if she does, theres nothing you can do
about it. Not. A. Thing. (I get paid by the word.)
But probably whats really going on is that
she enjoys having dinner with him because
she was never in love with him to begin with
and likes that he always paysIm speaking
from experience. So be careful not to overinvolve yourself in this, as anything you do
to try to limit the time she spends with him
will come across as controlling and insecure.
Bottom line, she clearly likes you. And
theres a reason shes not still dating her old
boyfriendmaybe its because he wouldnt let
her stay friends with her exes? J E N A

SHOULD YOU
WORRY IF SHE
SPENDS TIME
WITH AN EX?
AFTER ALL,
THEYRE ONLY
FRIENDS...

THE
SEX
FILES
OUR EXPERTS
ANSWER YOUR
MOST INTIMATE
QUESTIONS
NO HOLDS BARRED
T H I S M O N T H S PA N E L:

WRITER/STAND-UP
COMIC
JENA FRIEDMAN
PSYCHOTHERAPIST/
SEX THERAPIST
TAMMY NELSON, PH.D.
PSYCHOTHERAPIST/SEX
THERAPIST
MOUSHUMI GHOSE,
L.M.F.T.
PSYCHOTHERAPIST/
SEX COUNSELOR
MICHAEL AARON, PH.D.

MENS FITNESS

LES R., NEW ORLEANS, LA

If youre
both open to anal
sex, start in the
spoon position, both
lying on your sides,
with you behind her.
Using lots of lube,
slowly and gently
stimulate the area
with your finger as
you kiss her neck
and whisper sweet,
sexy things.
When youre both
stimulated, try
entering her slowly
but not deeply, then
let her control the
depth. Never go too
fast or deep without
warming her up
to the idea first. If
you or she can also
stimulate her clitoris
with a vibrator, that

DR. NELSON:

APRIL 2016

can help with her

arousal.
Done right,
anal sex doesnt
have to hurt. Start
slow. Work up to it.
Communicate.
D R . A A R O N : First,
anal sex has nothing
to do with being
gay. Homosexuality
is an attraction to
the same sex, not a
bunch of sex techniques aimed at the
anusmany hetero
men engage in anal
play, and many gay
men dont.
For you, I suggest
starting out slowly,
your girlfriend using
lube and her finger
(be sure her nails
are trimmed); she
can make a come
hither motion
to stimulate the
prostate, which
many men enjoy.
Then, if you like,
you can ramp up to
other objects, like a
small starter dildo
made for beginners.

I once asked my gf
if she was OK with
my watching porn at
times, and she said
yes. But the other
night she wasnt in the
mood, so after she
left...When she asked
later if Id jerked off,
she got upset. So,
are women just lying
when they say watching porn is OK?
N O R M M . , PA R M A , O H

MOUSHUMI GHOSE:

Well, yes and no. An

informed woman
will get that porn
can be a viable
choice, especially for
men, but that doesnt
mean shell be OK
with it in real life.
Consider: Is she
satisfied with your
sex life and secure
in the relationship?
If not, porn may trigger her fears. Also:
Was she really not in

HAVE A SEX
QUESTION?
E-MAIL US AT
ASKABOUTSEX
@ MENSFITNESS
.COM.

the mood, or did she

simply need more
romance or intimacy
first? If so, she may
have felt neglected.
Next time, ask
first if she needs
something more to
turn her on. She may
surprise you.
Virtually
all guys watch porn,
studies show. In fact,
one study on men
whodont had to be
dropped because
none could be found!
So if occasional porn
isnt OK, the entire
male population is
in trouble.
Even in relationships, we need to
keep our individuality with ground rules
on whats acceptable.
Discuss what you

DR. AARON:

each expect; then

you can decide if
this can work.
Every woman
is diferent. But also,
of course its OK.
Personally,
Im fine with my
fictional boyfriend
watching porn as
long as its not illegal
or on my computer.
But this sounds like
its less about porn
than about needing
her approval on matters shes not really
supposed to weigh
in on. Maybe shes
annoyed you even
asked herafter
all, your body, your
choice.
Id say just do
your thingyou will
anywayand leave
her out of it.

JENA:

D e a n I s i d r o / Tr u n k A r c h i v e

110

My girlfriend is
interested in trying
anal sex. Do you have
any tips for how to
start out? Also, I get
the part about doing
it to her, but if I let her
do it to meand I like
itshould I question
my sexuality?

The most important thing to ask yourself is,

do you trust her? If you dont, why? Has she
given you reason to lose trust? If you do trust
her, this insecurity must come from your own
internal issues. Either way, Id see it as a possibility for growth rather than a probleman
opportunity to work through some sticking
points and (if possible) patch up ruptures in
trust in your relationship. D R . A A R O N

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Your better-body blueprint

Edited by Sean Hyson, C.S.C.S.

EIGHTPACK
ORIGINS
Close your
eyes and picture yourself proudly pulling
off your tee on a hot,
crowded beach, or
playing hoops shirtless and confident on
a sunny afternoon.
Imagine what that
physique looks like
Got it? Good. Now
open your eyes and
get ready to kick your
training and healthy
eating into high gear,
because if youre
primed to do the
work, weve got the
plan to get you there.
With our iron-clad
ab routine that wont
kill your back (page
114), arm workout
that builds muscle
in ways youve never
imagined (page 124),
and guy-friendly
meals you can whip
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(page 118), when the
time comes, youre
going to love taking your shirt off.

FOR 25
MOVES YOUVE
NEVER TRIED,
GO TO MENS
FITNESS.COM
/EXPERIMENT

113

O Body Book

Six-pack secret

Better abs, no back pain

Use these workouts to rip up
your midsection without tearing
up your lower back
By Joe Stankowski, C.P.T.
Photographs by James Michelfelder

We sit too muchat our desks, in our cars, in front of the TV. And when we train our abs,
we reinforce that posture with situps and crunches that contribute to tight hips and
a rounded lower back. Over time, this can lead to lower-back pain and even conditions like a
bulging or herniated disk. But you want abs, dammit, so youll take your chances, right? You
dont have to choose vanity at the cost of health, or vice versa. If you train your abs to resist
bending and twisting, rather than perform them actively, you can develop a six-pack without
a trip to the chiropractor.

How It Works
D AY I :
NO BENDING
FORWA RD
OR BACK

Q While your abs work

to bend the torso and
hips, as in many different situp variations,
you can activate even
more core musculature
by resisting those
motions. Think of
setting up your body
so it wants to collapse
in one direction or the
other, but your core
forces it to hold steady.
Weve come up with
three different workouts: one that trains
you to avoid bending
your spine forward
and back; one that
makes you avoid lateral
bending; and one that
has you fight twisting
in any direction. Tack
on one at a time to the
end of the workouts
you already do, and
repeat whichever
one you find the most
challenging more often.
We dont expect you
to stop sitting, but you
owe it to yourself to
stay healthyand get a
six-pack.

Directions
Perform one workout (Day I, II, or
III) as a finisher to
whatever workouts
youre currently
doing. Complete
the exercises as a
circuit. So youll do
one set of 1A, then
1B, and then 1C,
resting as little as
possible between
each. Afterward,
rest 60 to 90 seconds and repeat for
three total circuits.

114

MENS F

1A
AB-WHEEL
ROLLOUT
: 1215

Kneel on the floor

holding an ab wheel
directly beneath your
shoulders. Brace your
abs and roll the wheel in
front of you, extending
your hips and arms as
far as you can without
allowing your hips to
sag. Then roll back.

1B
SWISS BALL
STIR THE
POT
Get into a plank position,
resting your arms on
a Swiss ball. Brace
abs and rotate elbows
clockwise so you roll the
ball beneath you. Repeat
counterclockwise.

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O Body Book

Six-pack secret

1C
ALLIGATOR
CRAWL
Sets: 3 Reps: Crawl for
45 sec.

Get into a pushup position and rest your feet

on furniture sliders or
paper plates. (Its best
to do these on a waxed
floor if possible.) Brace
your abs and crawl
forward on your hands
while maintaining
the pushup position.
Dont let your hips sag
or twist.

Vest: RUFSKIN
Pants: SATURDAYS
NYC
Sneakers:
NEW BALANCE
Tech: POLAR
Want it?
See page 135.

D AY I I : N O B E N D I N G S I D E T O S I D E

Sets: 3 Reps: 1215

(each side)

Grasp a dumbbell in one

hand and get into a lunge
position. Lower your
back knee to the floor.
(You may want to have
a towel or pad under it
for comfort.) Hold the
dumbbell at shoulder
level and press it overhead without twisting or
bending to either side.

116

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

until your body forms

a straight line and your
weight is supported by
your forearm and the
side of your foot. Keep
your abs braced and
hold the position.

YOUR ABS WORK

THE HARDEST
WHEN THEYRE
HOLDING YOUR
SPINE STRAIGHT.

St yling by Delvin Lugo; Grooming by W

1A
1B
HALFSIDE PLANK
Sets: 3 Reps: Hold for
KNEELING
45 sec. (each side)
SINGLE-ARM Lie on your side and rest
OVERHEAD
your forearm on the
floor. Raise your hips up
PRESS

D AY I I I : N O T W I S T I N G

1A
PALLOF
PRESS
Sets: 3 Reps: 1215
(each side)

Set up as you did for the

overhead Pallof press
(left) on Day II but press
the handle in front of
your chest. Resist any
rotation or bending.

PRESS THE
WEIGHT
WITH A SLOW,
CONTROLLED
MOTION.

1B
SINGLEARM, HALFSUPPORTED
BENCH
PRESS
Sets: 3 Reps: 1215
(each side)

Hold a dumbbell in
one hand and lie back
on a bench so that
only your upper back
not your midsection
or hipsis supported.
Brace your core and
squeeze your glutes.
Press the weight over
your chest.

1C
OVERHEAD
PALLOF
PRESS
Attach a D-handle
to the top pulley of
a cable station and
grasp it with both
hands. Stand back
away from the
station to put tension
on the cable and hold
the handle at chest
height. Stand with
your feet shoulder
width and brace your
abs. Press the handle
overhead and avoid
twisting or bending.

1C
LATERAL CRAWL
Sets: 3 Reps: 1215 (each side)

Get into a pushup position and cross your right hand over your left while taking a step out with your
left leg. Then move your left hand out and bring your right leg in to form a pushup position again.
Continue moving laterally. Each step is one rep. Repeat in the opposite direction.
APRIL 2016

MENS FITNESS

117

O Body Book

Eat lean

Blade runner
Turn your trusty blender
into an ultrafast,
superhealthy aroundthe-clock meal maker

B Y M A T T K A D E Y, R . D .
PHOTOGR APHS BY

WILLIAM AND SUSAN BRINSON

F o o d s t y l i n g b y C a r r i e P u r c e l l ; P r o p s t y l i n g b y E m i l y R i c k a r d / Tr i c i a J o y c e

C is for chili.
This green chicken
chili is rich in vitamin
C, which can ramp up
fat burning during
exercise , a Nutrition
& Metabolism study
found.

25%

O Body Book

Eat lean
3
Chocolate Ricotta
Oatmeal Pancakes
MAKES: 4 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

cup light ricotta

cheese

cup milk
1

large egg

cup rolled oats

cup unsweetened
cocoa powder
Zest of 1 orange
1

tsp cinnamon

tsp baking powder

tsp baking soda

tsp salt
1

tbsp butter or oil

1 cups strawberries
2

tbsp pure maple syrup

tsp fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1) Place all ingredients

except butter, strawberries, maple syrup,
and lemon juice in a
blender; blend until
smooth.
2) Heat a skillet over
medium heat and add
butter. Pour cup
batter for each pancake and cook for 2
minutes. Flip and cook
another minute. Keep
prepared pancakes
warm in a 200F oven.
3) Blend together strawberries, maple syrup,
and lemon juice until
smooth. Warm in
microwave and serve
on top of pancakes.

248 calories,
10g protein,
33g carbs, 10g fat

1
Swiss Chard
Egg Pie
MAKES: 5 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

large eggs

large egg whites

1/
3

cup milk

large Swiss chard

leaves, stems trimmed

tsp salt
tsp black pepper

cup grated Parmesan

cheese

cup chopped
oil-packed sun-dried
tomatoes
2

shallots, chopped

garlic cloves, chopped

tbsp fresh chopped

thyme

1 cups jarred salsa

DIRECTIONS

1) Preheat oven to
400F. Spray a round
cake pan with cooking
spray.
2) Place eggs, egg
whites, milk, chard,

salt, and pepper in a

blender and blend until
chard has been pulverized. Pulse in cup
Parmesan, sun-dried
tomatoes, shallots,
garlic, and thyme.
3) Pour mixture into pan,
sprinkle on remaining
Parmesan, and bake
for 20 minutes, or
until cooked through.
Let cool for a few minutes before slicing.
Serve with salsa.

shallot, chopped

garlic clove, chopped

tsp Italian seasoning

tsp salt

Tomato Yogurt
Soup
MAKES: 4 SERVINGS

tsp chipotle chili

powder
tsp black pepper
1

INGREDIENTS

(5 oz) can waterpacked albacore tuna,

drained

(28 oz) can San

Marzano tomatoes

cup prepared pesto

cup plain 2% yogurt

DIRECTIONS

cup canned navy

beans, drained and
rinsed

N U T R I T I O N (PER SERVING)

222 calories,
18g protein,
12g carbs, 12g fat

roasted red pepper

Juice of lemon

1) Blend tomatoes
and the juices from
the canalong with
the rest of the ingredients (except tuna and

pesto) for 1 minute.

2) Transfer mixture to a
saucepan and heat on
medium until warmed.
If you have a powerful
blender like Vitamix,
you can also keep the
machine running while
pureeing the soup
until it is steaming.
Serve garnished
with tuna, pesto, and
black pepper. Serve
with crusty bread, if
you like.
N U T R I T I O N (PER SERVING)

286 calories,
17g protein,
31g carbs, 10g fat

O p e n i n g p a g e : K i t c h e n A i d M a g n e t i c D r i v e To r r e n t B l e n d e r a v a i l a b l e a t S u r L a Ta b l e ;
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N U T R I T I O N (PER SERVING)

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O Body Book

Eat lean
5
Blueberry Protein
Ice Cream
MAKES: 1 SERVING

INGREDIENTS

cup light coconut milk

1

cup frozen
blueberries

scoop plain or vanilla

protein powder

tsp honey

tsp lemon zest

1/
8

tsp almond extract

tbsp coconut flakes

(optional)

tbsp cacao nibs

(optional)

DIRECTIONS

1) Place a serving bowl in

the freezer for at least
30 minutes before
making ice cream
this will delay the time
it takes the mixture to
melt in the bowl.
2) Place coconut milk,
blueberries, protein
powder, honey, lemon
zest, and almond
extract in a blender.
Begin blending on
low speed and work
your way up to high
speed until mixture
is creamy. Or use the
ice cream setting if
your blender has one.
If needed, add a small
amount of additional
coconut milk to help
with blending.
3) Place mixture in
chilled serving bowl
and top with coconut
flakes and/or cacao
nibs, if desired.
N U T R I T I O N (PER SERVING)

260 calories,
28g protein,
27g carbs, 4g fat

4
Green Chicken Chili
PAG E 11 8

canned tomatillos

(15 oz) cans navy

beans, drained and
rinsed

jalapeo peppers,
seeded

1/
3

cup chopped cilantro,

plus more for garnish

MAKES: 5 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

tsp olive oil

white onion, chopped

tsp cumin powder

cups sliced rotisserie

chicken meat

tsp salt

cup sour cream or

plain yogurt

poblano peppers,
diced

avocado

garlic cloves, minced

cup chicken broth

cup toasted pumpkin

seeds (pepitas)

122

MENS FITNESS

Juice of lime

APRIL 2016

DIRECTIONS

1) Heat a heavybottomed saucepan

over medium heat
and add olive oil. Add
onion and salt and
cook for 3 minutes.
Add poblano peppers
and garlic and cook for
3 more minutes.
2) Place chicken broth,
tomatillos, 1 can
beans, jalapeo,
cilantro, and cumin in
a blender and blend
until nearly smooth.
(It should retain some
chunky consistency.)
Add mixture to saucepan and simmer

uncovered for
15 minutes. Stir in
chicken and remaining
can of beans and heat
through. Add additional broth if chili is
too thick.
3) Blend together sour
cream, avocado, lime
juice, and a pinch of
salt until smooth.
Serve chili topped
with avocado cream,
pumpkin seeds, and
additional cilantro.
N U T R I T I O N (PER SERVING)

425 calories,
34g protein,
47g carbs, 13g fat

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O Body Book

Fully armed

Work the angles

Discover the long and the short of
building bigger arms in four weeks
By Eric and Ryan Johnson
Photographs by J
i

If you think of building muscle as basically just sets and reps and weights, youre not
wrong. But to fully activate every last muscle fiber and stimulate a muscle to grow, you
have to make it contract at different lengths. Thats why its so important to train with a
variety of exercises that work muscles from different joint angles. With this workout youll
play all the angles to build your arms in just four weeks.

How It Works

Directions
Perform the workout once per week.
Exercises that are
paired (marked
A and B) are
alternated. So youll
do one set of A,
rest as prescribed,
one set of B, rest,
and repeat until all
sets for the pair are
completed.

124

MENS FITNESS

1A
ONE-ARM
CABLE
BICEPS
POSE
Sets: 2 Reps: 810
(each arm) Rest: 30 sec.

CHANGING
THE LENGTH
THE MUSCLES
MUST WORK
AT CHANGES
THE TENSION
WITHIN THEM.

Attach a D-handle to
the top pulley of a cable
station. Stand away
from the station so your
arm is extended and
curl the handle toward
your earit will look like
youre doing a classic
biceps pose. Twist your
wrist as you curl as if
you were trying to line
your pinkie up with the
back of your shoulder.
Take two seconds to
lower the weight and
hold the top of each rep
for three seconds.

1B
CABLE
CROSSOVER
TRICEPS
EXTENSION
Sets: 2 Reps:
Rest: 30 sec.

Cross two facing

cables and grasp the
ends, one in each
hand. Stand back to
put tension on the
cables. Bend your
elbows 90 degrees and
draw them back behind
your body. Extend your
elbows to lockout.
Take two seconds to
lower the weight and
hold the top of each
rep for three seconds.
APRIL 2016

2A PREACHER CURL
Sets: 6 Reps: 9, 7, 5, 9, 7, 5 Rest: 60 sec.

Set up at a preacher curl bench with the top of the

bench just beneath your armpits. Curl the bar, then
take three seconds to extend your arms completely.
Hold the bottom position one second. Increase the
weight each set for the first three sets. Then back
off but use a heavier load than you did for your first
set of nine reps, and continue increasing the weight.

S t y l i n g b y D e l v i n L u g o ; G r o o m i n g b y W i l l i a m M u r p h y/A t e l i e r M a n a g e m e n t u s i n g D i o r H o m m e

Q Youll begin with the

one-arm cable biceps
pose. While it may
look like an exercise
for, well, poseurs,
understand that when
the arm is raised to 90
degrees and the elbow
is flexed, the biceps
are put in their shortest
position. When held for
up to six seconds, this
increases your nervous
systems activation of
the biceps, leading to
better contractions
throughout the rest of
the workout.
The next exercise,
the cable crossover
triceps extension,
accomplishes the same
thing for the triceps.
From there, youll work
the bis and tris with
moves that train them
in their most stretched
positions. Changing
the length that the
muscles must work at
changes the tension in
them and, ultimately,
the amount of muscle
fiber that gets worked.
And while its harder to
understand than three
sets of 10, your arms
will get the message:
Get bigger!

2B
INCLINE
DUMBBELL
SKULL
CRUSHER

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Sets: 6 Reps: 9, 7, 5, 9,
7, 5 Rest: 60 sec.

Set a bench to a
30-degree angle. Extend
your arms overhead
with palms facing each
other and then bend
your elbows and lower
the weights behind
your head. Take three
seconds to lower the
weight. Increase the
weight each set for
the first three sets.
Then back off but use
a heavier load than you
did for your first set of
nine reps, and continue
increasing the weight.

3A
CABLE
TRICEPS
KICKBACK

3B
OVERHEAD
TRICEPS
EXTENSION

Sets: 3 Reps: 12
Rest: 10 sec.

Sets: 3 Reps: 8
Rest: 45 sec.

Use a dual cable station

and hold the end of a
cable in each hand.
Stand back to put
tension on the cables
and bend your hips
back until your torso
is parallel to the floor.
Keep your lower back
flat and your chest up.
Extend your elbows to
drive the cables straight
back behind you. Take
three seconds to lower
the weight and hold the
bottom position for two
seconds. Explosively
extend your elbows on
each rep.

Turn away from the

station and hold the
rope behind your head.
Explosively extend your
elbows overhead. Take
three seconds to lower
the weight and hold the
bottom position two
seconds. Hold the last
rep of each set 15 seconds in the stretched
(elbows bent) position.

4
INCLINE
DUMBBELL
CURL
Sets: As few as possible
Reps: 75 total
Rest: 20 sec.

CABLE KICKBACKS
KEEP TENSION
ON THE MUSCLES
THROUGHOUT THE
WHOLE SET.

Set an adjustable bench

to a 60-degree angle
and lie back against it
with a dumbbell in each
hand. Keeping your elbows tight to your sides,
curl the weights and
squeeze your biceps at
the top. Take two seconds to lower the weight
on each rep and hold the
bottom position for one
second. Use a weight
you can get only 15 reps
with and do as many
sets as it takes to get to
75 total reps, resting as
needed between sets.

O Body Book

Scientific nutrition

Protein packed
Remake your body into
a high-performance
muscle-building
machine with these
simple habits
By Joy Ronson

1. Eat More Meat

Sometimes getting enough daily protein feels like a race against the clock: If youre busy, it might be
noon before you realize you forgot breakfast. Then you work through lunch, nearly skip dinner, and
by bedtime youve had barely a chicken breasts worth. But make no mistake: If you want to build muscle,
burn fat, and perform your best, you need ample protein on a regular basis. In fact, as we reported last
month, sports scientists now recommend getting up to 0.75 grams of protein per pound of body weight
(thats 135g for a 180-pound man) spread throughout the day for optimal absorption. To make sure you
get enough, adopt these habitsyoull get bigger and leaner, and even feel more alert.

2. Eat Every
Three Hours
Q Frequent eating
doesnt boost the
metabolism, as previously thought, but it
does ensure you get
enough nutrition over
the course of the day,
in intervals that allow
your body to process
protein efectively.
If it helps set a

3. Pack in the Whey

The right stuff.

Whey powders such as
those from MuscleTech
can be consumed
through the day to
meet protein needs.

Q The easiest, fastest

delivery system for
protein is a powder
you can mix into a
shake or smoothie.
To get max results,
look for one that
consists primarily of
whey protein. A 2015
study in the Journal
of Food Science
compared whey with

ments made with soy

and rice and found
that whey had the
highest concentration
of leucine, an amino
acid that signals
muscle growth.
Premium Gold
100% Whey Protein
from MuscleTech
is a good example.
It ofers 24 grams
of whey protein per
scoop Also due to

protein is so pure it
mixes instantly with
a spoon or shaker
bottle, so its easy
to make in your
kitchenette, office, or
gym locker room.

Muscle in
a Glass
Mix up this smoothie
to support gains and
suppress hunger
INGREDIENTS

cups water

cup frozen spinach

tbsp peanut butter

banana

scoop Premium
Gold 100% Whey
Protein, Double
Rich Chocolate

DIRECTIONS

SHAKE IT UP:
PROTEIN,
FRUIT, A GREEN
VEGGIE, AND A
HEALTHY FAT
MAKE FOR A
PERFECT MEAL.
REPLACEMENT.

126

CLAIRE B

Mix all ingredients

in a high-speed
blender. The
frozen greens will
take the place of
ice cubes, making
the drink cold,
while the banana
and peanut butter
will mask any
bitterness.
NUTRITION

370 calories,
24g protein,
30g carbs, 17g fat

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Superfoods

O Body Book

Pomegranate power
Three reasons to get juiced
about this superfood
By Joy Ronson
Photograph by Christopher Testani

The transition from winter

weather to a warm spring can
kick-start your workout just as
significantly as it does your mood. Its
time to take advantage by bringing your
strength workouts to a playground
instead of the gym, or running through
nature rather than on the treadmill.
With new physical challenges come
new fueling demands in your body,
and theres an ancient superfood that
meets themthe pomegranate. Its juice
boasts three properties that make it an
ideal addition to your workout.

Nitric Oxide (N.O.)

Q During exercise,
your muscles need
additional blood
flow to improve the
delivery of oxygen.
Additional oxygen
is critical during
aerobic activity and
anaerobic exercise
(such as lifting). Nitric
oxide, aka N.O., is a
natural compound in
the body that dilates
blood vessels so
they can carry more
oxygen to working
muscles. One preliminary in vitro study

juice suggests that

polyphenols, natural
compounds found
in pomegranates,
protect N.O. against
oxidative stress,
thereby increasing
its biological activity.
Preliminary research
into N.O. suggests that
pomegranate polyphenols from pomegranate extract may
even help enhance
exercise efficiency.

Natural Sugar
Q Like most fruits,
pomegranates are

come from low-GI

foods, which can help
you avoid the blood
sugar crashes often
experienced after
eating high-GI foods
such as cookies or
soft drinks. In fact,
in a meta-analysis
of 12 research trials
published in the
scientific journal
PLOS One, researchers found that various
fruit juices do not
significantly raise
blood sugar. Watch
out: Many juice drinks
have processed
sugar added in for

pomegranate juice
provides 17% of your
daily potassium
about the same as
a medium banana.
Drink it regularly to
help support your
exercise routine.
Additional research
is needed to establish
the cause-and-efect
relationship between
pomegranate polyphenols and N.O.
levels and to evaluate
and confirm the efect
of fruit juice on blood
sugar changes.
dured.
100%
pomegranate juice
has no
added sugar.

Potassium
Q

Smoothie
moves
Add this pomegranate blend to your
training table
INGREDIENTS

tbsp chia seeds

banana, frozen

tbsp coconut
chips

tbsp cacao nibs or

carob chips

slices raw beet

DIRECTIONS

Blend all ingredients until

smooth and drink
immediately.
EXTRA BENEFITS

Chia seeds provide

fiber and healthy
fats that promote
fullness, while
beet juice has been
linked to greater
N.O. levels.

ormation
article
vided by POM
ul.

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D A V I D W R I G H T (continued from page 85)

through his spinal column into his legs.

Less than a week later, Watkins had him working with Michael
Schlink, P.T., O.C.S., an L.A.-based physical therapist whose
expertise is spine-related core stabilization and strengthening.
Schlink treated Wright daily for a month, then two to three times
a week the following two months, teaching him a series of four
minutely choreographed lower-back-strengthening exercises that
proved critical to his main 2-hour exercise regimen. Called corestabilization exercises, they address the six planes of lumbar spine
motionforward and back, side bend left and right, and rotation
left and rightto create a better balance between the muscles in
front of and behind the pelvis, which relieves spinal pressure. What
I did, Schlink says, was neurologically wake up abdominal, multifidus, and gluteus medius muscles that werent properly ring.
The exercises didnt solve Wrights stenosis, but they did reduce
his back pain. Without them, he would have been unable to
complete his rehab workout.
In the Barwis facility, Wright is ready to begin a version of
that workout. On Mondays and Thursdays, he concentrates on his
upper body; Tuesdays and Fridays, his lower body. (Wednesdays,
Saturdays, and Sundays are rest days, with light stretching and
massages.) Today is a lower-body day, and what Wright conspicuously doesnt do is lift heavy weights. In fact, except for one stretch
he does several times with 15-pound free weights, he doesnt use
weights at all. I cant get under a squat rack with 300 pounds
anymore because it would just crush my back, he says.
During the workout, Wright maintains a tight, workmanlike
focus, taking brief pauses between exercisesbut only one break.
About two-thirds of the way through his regimen, during a set of
military presses, he spots a wheelchair-bound man trying with
diiculty to enter the facility. Wright jogs quickly over to the door
to help, then resumes his routine. (If the man realizes hes been
assisted by a ballplayer whose New York fan base is exceeded only
by that of Derek Jeter, he doesnt let on.)
Wrights routine, created by Watkins and John Meyer, P.T., D.P.T.,
a physical therapist and USC professor, is founded on balance and
coordination exercises. Coordinated strength is stronger than
uncoordinated, Watkins says. A starting pitcher, for instance, has
a reproducible pattern of activity. Theres a coordinated, musclering sequence for his core muscles. Where the throwing arm
determines which muscles in the trunk are ring. We want to train
an athlete so his muscles re in a coordinated sequence.
So Wright focuses on exercises like facing the side of a trackand-eld hurdle with his back perfectly still and raising each of
his legs slowly, in turn, over the hurdlean efective exercise for
strengthening his core and improving his rotation. Or doing the
Dying Bug: lying on his back, arms and legs in the air, mimicking
fast crawling. This is hard work, Watkins says. You have to isolate
out your trunk muscles and mobilize your spine, then do these
techniques designed to throw your spine of balance, and youre
resisting that and keeping it up for 15 minutes, with excellent technique throughout. Its athletes work.
Back when he was rst introduced to this rehab workduring
his 2015 comebackthe Watkins-and-Meyer routine eventually expanded to include more baseball-specic skills executed
132

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

in a more spine-friendly way. Near Meyers oice were two cityrun articial-turf football elds where Wright did running and
throwing drills, making as few as 20 throws from 40 feet in early
July, but by months end managing 60 throws at 120 to 150 feet.
Not far away was a dirt-and-grass baseball eld where Wright did
elding drills. Meyer slowly got Wright to concentrate on using his
legs, his core, and his upper trunk more when he threw.
Wright did his hitting at a nearby batting cage, starting with 20
swings of a tee. Soon after he started hitting, he felt the familiar
pain in his back. Together, he and Meyer made a subtle change
in his stance. We had him sit back into his hip more and feel his
weight more centered through his feet and core, Meyer says. This
adjustment allowed his hips and trunk to explode and rotate left
through the hitting zone. Clearing his hips properly during the
swing allowed his back to be more upright and decompressed. Its
the kind of adjustment you might make in a golfers address. The
pain subsided. Soon Wright was taking 50 swings a day.
His rst game back was an Aug. 24 night game in Philadelphia
against the Phillies, where he put into practice his new pregame
routinea variation of his rehab workout designed to loosen him
up without wearing him out.
He arrived 1 p.m. at the ballpark for a 7:05 p.m. rst pitch. John
[Zajac, the Mets physical therapist] started working on my back,
loosening it up, and from there I went on the [stationary] bike,
then to the stretching cage. Then I did my back exercises and my
warmupskipping exercises, baseball movements, and all the
exercises I did in rehab. From there I went to warm up battingwise, hitting of a tee, rst at 50% and gradually getting to 75%,
then 100% so Id be ready for batting practice. The entire procedure took nearly three hours, after which he ran onto the eld
for the pregame practice. But where he used to take 50 or more
warmup grounders, he now took 10 or 15. He used to take 60
batting-practice swings; that was cut by half or more. I have to be
more eicient, more purposeful in my work, he says.
Wrights rst at-bat came in the second inning. In storybook
fashion, he blasted a home run deep into the left-eld stands.
It was as gratifying a baseball moment as Wright has had in his
12-year career. After circling the bases and being mobbed by his
teammates, he raced to the clubhouse, where he found Zajac. You
did it! Zajac yelled, and Wright thanked him while they hugged.
With Wrights workout at the Barwis facility complete,
he relaxes in the sun, in a grandstand seat beside the Mets
Tradition Field dugout. He doesnt think about how long hell be
able to continue playing or how his condition will afect him long
after retirement. His goal right now is just to remain healthy and
stay on the eld throughout the coming season. Terry Collins, the
Mets manager, hopes hell be able to play 135 of the teams 162
regular-season games. Given the periodic rest his back inevitably
will need, some feel thats optimistic.
Wright says his only regret is that he wishes hed adopted this
core-work and stretching program years ago. I live by it now. I like
to think that Im a walking example that when something like this
happens, if you put in the efort and the work, you can rebound
and keep persevering. When you do something you love, youll do
anything you possibly can to get on that baseball eld. Q

T H E C A S E F O R B E E R (continued from page 102)

can drink a beer, even a few, after a workout, and youll be just ne.
When I spoke with respected Spanish physiologist Manuel
J. Castillo, M.D., Ph.D., who led a pioneering study on the suitability of beer as a recovery drink, he ofers a similar perspective.
An athlete, he says, should follow two simple rules: Limit yourself
to two beers, and for every pound of body weight you lose during
a workout, rehydrate with at least the same quantity of uid (a
pint for every pound). This means that if youve lost only about 1.5
pounds of uid, two cans of beer will do the trick for rehydration
no water needed. But if youve lost more than that, youre going
to need to augment your 24 ounces of beer with water or another
nonalcoholic beverage. (And, like Barnes, Castillo says that its
always better to ingest beer with food that contributes salt and
other nutrients that beer doesnt have.)
So, beer, consumed in moderation, might not have adverse
efects on post-workout recovery, but could it actually have positive qualities? Possibly. In the ancient world, physicians used
beer-based concoctions (enhanced with herbs like wormwood
or more outr additives like crushed earthworms) to ght everything from common coughs to poisonous asp bites. More recently,
scientists have discovered that beer decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease and kidney stones, andbecause it contains vitamin
B, ferulic acid, and berit may be a good prebiotic, too. And,
according to one study, beer can work wonders for runners. In 2011,
researchers in Germany monitored 277 healthy male runners of
the Munich marathon, each of whom drank either one to 1.5 liters
of beer or a placebo a day in the weeks surrounding the race. The
beer drinkers experienced less inammation, stronger immune
systems, fewer colds, and a lower incidence of upper-respiratory
infectionsthe result, the researchers speculated, of beers high
polyphenol content. The catch? The beer was nonalcoholic.
The German study was, in fact, funded by Erdinger Weissbru,
one of Germanys largest breweries and the producers of Erdinger
Non-Alcoholic, a beverage the company has successfully marketed
in Europe as a refreshing isotonic recovery drink that replenishes the body with essential vitamins such as B9. But there
isnt anything unique about the nutritional prole of Erdinger
Non-Alcoholic, the company readily admits. Its brewed under
the strict Bavarian Purity Law of 1516, and any other wheat beer
would contain the same essential nutrients.
But if you prefer good old-fashioned alcoholic beer, Lee Heidel,
managing editor of the beer and tness blog Brew/Drink/Run,
suggests trying radlers, which are basically Teutonic shandies (a
mix of beer and lemonade or fruit soda), and gose-style ales, which
are relatively low in alcohol and, signicantly, salty. (Studies have
found that enriching beer with sodium makes it a better rehydration beverage.) But science is agnostic on the benets of one style
over another, so any beer thats low in alcohol and crisp in taste will
do. (For our favorite recovery beers, see page 103.)
Perhaps the strangest news is that small amounts of beer might
not even hinder your performance before or during a workoutat
least not too much. When I ask Barnes what he thinks of Shawn
Hines pre- and in-workout beers, he says it is an interesting
approach and one that probably wont do much harm. Because
beer has more water and less alcohol than wine or liquor, its not
134

MENS FITNESS

APRIL 2016

a bad vehicle for rehydration, and while drinking a lot before or

during an event is certain to reduce an athlete to a stumbling, slurring mess, low doses, like the black lager Hines drinks, will probably have no ill efects at all. (Of course, it wont have any particular
benet, either.) As long as it works for an individual, thats all that
really matters, Barnes tells me.

Dont Overdo It or Its Lights Out

After touring New Belgiums prison gym and cyclocross track, I get
invited to engage in one of its employee-owners favorite pastimes:
biking to get a happy-hour drink. Along with Hines, Woodard,
and New Belgiums PR director, Bryan Simpson (an avid cyclist
himself ), I ride ve miles of windy trail that runs along the Cache
La Poudre River. My bike, a rusty old beach cruiser, turns the trip
into a slog, but the scenery makes up for it as the snow-covered
Rocky Mountain foothills glisten in front of us. Our destination, in
the neighboring town of LaPorte, is the Swing Stationthe SS,
as its knownwhich caters to cyclists, decorates its walls with the
skulls of cattle and rams, and stocks several beers on tap that tend
toward the full-bodied, especially during winter.
As we sit down, Woodard begins to discuss some of his training
strategies. A numbers-crunching sales and supply forecaster
at the brewery, he approaches his of-hours cycling in much the
same way: by amassing data. He tracks his wattage output during
his rides. He saves the wrappers of every protein bar and gel he
consumes so he can count the calories. Earlier, he even presented
me with a spreadsheet documenting how many of New Belgiums
employee-athletes had inspired one another to get out there and
exercise. Hes a quantitative guy through and through. But when
it comes to beer, Woodard has only a vague sense of its nutritional
properties. He cites no studies. He ofers no analysis on its health
effects. He doesnt even know how many calories are in New
Belgiums products. I dont give it a whole lot of consideration, he
says, shrugging. Soon, hes reaching for a bottle of New Belgium +
Ben & Jerrys Salted Caramel Brownie Brown Ale.
Hines doesnt get much deeper into the science, either. Sure, he is
conducting what he cheekily calls his unsanctioned and unoicial
study of endurance racing and the integration of beer from training
to race recovery, but so far his conclusions are little more than
common sense. He says he realized that drinking beers that are
more than 6% alcohol before a run will cause him to start thinking
Im a little smarter and more nimble than I am. For recovery, hes
found that if he goes too bigNew Belgiums Trippel Belgian-style
ale (8.5% ABV), for instancehell feel every last gram of booze.
Then its lights out, he says.
As we hop onto our bikes to return to New Belgium, I experience
beer-fueled tness rsthand. The sun is setting behind the Front
Range, and Im feeling tip-top. After two pints, Ive done my carboloading, and Im feeling a slight buzz. My beach cruiser suddenly
feels lighter and swifter, and I push myself to the front of the pack,
ying in tandem with New Belgiums avid cyclists. And as our crew
nally pulls into the brewery, Woodard, the state-champion bike
racer, turns to me and smiles. That took a lot less time on the way
back, he says. Or at least it felt like it did. Q

J O E M A N G A N I E L L O (continued from page 73)

good. I think in terms of

suitsZegna, thats another
company that over the past
couple of years Ive developed
a relationship with. Theyve
made me some amazing
suits. But a suits all about
how its tailored. When you
get a little bit older you start
bringing your clothes to the
tailor more often.
Youre huge. Id think most of
your suits would have to be
tailor-made.

Not really. I mean, I buy stuf

right of the rack. Same with
Zegna. Most places I just buy
right of the rack. Its just my
shouldersI need to nd a
jacket that ts my shoulders
and then have it tailored, you
know? I mean, my waist is
pretty normal size. I can t
into normal stuf.
How careful are you about what
you eat?

Its interesting. This past year

I met with a very highly recommended nutritionist who used
to work for NASA and now
works with a lot of pro sports
teams and pro athletes. His
name is Chris Talley. What
I realized through him is that
people giving other people
diet advice doesnt really work.
People make blanket statements about dietRed meats
bad, aspartame will give you
cancer, fat is badbut you
know its not true for everyone.
One size does not t all when it
comes to diet.
Talley debunked so many
things Id thought and really
shed light on some scary
things about the food were
eatingespecially the food
that I was eating when I was
training. I found out that I
was allergic to eggs, milk,
and casein, which comprised
a huge percentage of my
diet. My allergies eventually
went away.
But I also found out that
red meat was great for me and
that eating a packet of Equal

would raise my aspartic acid

level, which is the equivalent
of drinking wine and eating
cheese. Nobody on the planet
is going to suggest that you
do that. But its good for me
maybe not somebody else.

WHERE TO BUY

Breakthroughs: Style
Page 26: Original Penguin
Buckle Web belt, $50,
OPAS6405, available at
Original Penguin stores
and originalpenguin
.com ; Samuelsohn
three-piece suit, $1,620,
samuelsohn.com .

The Easy Path to Gains

Is your diet so regimented that
you have a cheat day?

I only need cheat days when

Im training for something.
When Im not, I just eat whatever the hell I want.
When youre eating whatever the
hell you want, whats your favorite
thing to eat?

I love waffles, man. Im a

sucker for waffles. Waffles
and fried chicken. As a
present, my friend Art Smith,
the [celebrity] chef whos
worked for Oprah, told me
that he was going to come
and make me his fried chicken
the night of my wedding. So
at the after-party, he and his
eet of chefs came out with
trays of fried chicken for everybody, then he made it again
for the brunch the next
morning. Which was justI
mean, I was in heaven. When
he brought it out, it was gone.
I mean, he brought, like,
400 pieces of chicken, and
they were gone in about two
seconds. Its the best fried
chicken Ive ever had in my life.
Oh, yes, your barely publicized
wedding! Congratulations, by the
way. How has married life been
treating you?

Thank you very much. Its the

best. Its great.
You mentioned that this year
youre heading toward a big
birthday40. What do the next
few years look like in terms of
your personal life? Time to start
a family with Sofia?

Im not ready to make any

kind of announcement like
that, man. It was tough enough
trying to make my wedding
happen out of the public eye.
The last thing Id want to do is
curse that part of my life before
it even happens. Q

Pages 4041: Isaora

Micro-knit No Sew tank
top, $65, isaora.com ;
Sunspel LoopBack shorts,
$135, sunspel.com ;
Brooks Ghost 8 DTX
running shoes, $150,
brooksrunning.com .

Brute Strength

pocket square, $70,

similar styles available at
Tommy Hilfiger NYC, 212223-1824; Levis 511 Slim
Fit jeans, $49, levi.com .
Pages 93, 96: Michael
Kors Slim-Fit Two-Button
Wool jacket, $495,
michaelkors.com ;
Tommy Hilfiger, Denim
shirt, $100, Chino pants,
$110, Jackson Campaign
watch, $165, tommy.com ;
Alex Mill Curvy Paisley
Bandana pocket square,
$45, alex-mill.com ; The
Tie Bar Textured Solid
Knit tie, $25, thetiebar
.com ; Frye Miller Low
Lace sneaker, $188,
thefryecompany.com .

Page 46: Reebok ONE

Series tank, $28, reebok
.com ; C9 Champion Run
pants, $30, target.com
/c9 ; Nike Metcon 1, $120,
nike.com; SKLZ Super
sandbag, $60, shop
.sklz.com .

Page 94: Joseph Abboud

Notch Lapel Slim Fit
sport coat, $495, Joseph
Abboud Flagship in NYC or
josephabboud.com ; Vince
Camuto Zip Front hoodie,
$195, vincecamuto.com ;
Boss Tessler 09 T-shirt,
$55, hugoboss.com .

The Varsity Player

Page 95: J.Hilburn

Twill Solid jacket, $550,
jhilburn.com ; Kenneth
Cole Nylon Zip vest, $298,
kennethcole.com ; Boss
Tessler 09 T-shirt, $55,
hugoboss.com ; EFM
Flat Front trouser, $295,
efmmenswear.com.

Page 54: Express Rocco

Straight Leg Rip and
Repair jeans, $88, Small
Lion V-Neck T-shirt,
$20, Casablanca Jacket,
$198, Mirrored Aviator
sunglasses, $30, Canvas
sneaker, $50, Leather
Strap watch, $148,
City Hiker Ripstop
rucksack, $100, available
at Express stores and
express.com.

Trailblazers
Page 92: Samuelsohn
Beckett Performance
blazer, $995, nordstrom
.com ; Tommy Hilfiger
Tailored sweater, $140,

Better Abs,
No Back Pain
Pages 114, 116-117:
Rufskin Newton sleeveless
hoodie, $75, rufskin
.com ; Saturdays NYC
Ken sweatpants, $115,
saturdaysnyc.com ;
New Balance Fresh Foam
Vongo running shoes,
$130, newbalance.com ;
Polar A360 performance
bracelet, $200, polar.com.

Work the Angles

Pages 124125: Rhone
Bulldog tank, $54,
Equinox; Isaora MDW
training pants, $115,
isaora.com ; Athletic
Propulsion Labs Prism
running shoes, $195,
athleticpropulsionlabs
.co m; Jawbone, UP3
Twist bracelet, $180,
jawbone.com .

Page 97: Tommy Hilfiger

Clark blazer, $295,
tommy.com; Boss Button
Front T-Swain shirt,
$275, hugoboss.com;
Express Photographer
pants, $88, express.com ;
Tommy Hilfiger Slip-on
sneakers, $140, pocket
square, $50, available at
Tommy Hilfiger NYC, 212223-1824.

Mens Fitness (ISSN 0893-4460), Volume 32, No. 3, is published 10 times a year, Jan./Feb.,
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APRIL 2016

MENS FITNESS

135

#fitwit

@ProfSpiker Use dumbbells. Dont be one. Gainesville, FL

Get in the hole!

How to Master success, lose instant weight, and not shoot youre* WOD, all in 140 characters or less

Please stop saying WOD.

April 30 / 1:45 p.m.

#SpringCleanYour: Sheets
April 13 / 8:44 p.m.

Unless youre referring to

phlegm.
April 30 / 1:45 p.m.

#SpringCleanYour: Back Hair

April 12 / 8:43 p.m.

Please dont refer to

phlegm.
April 30 / 1:45 p.m.
Running in the rain sucks for
the first 45 secs. After that?
Exact opposite of sucks.
April 28 / 10:13 a.m.
Smoothie perfection:
almond milk, pb, protein
powder, banana, ice.
April 26 / 8:32 p.m.
#ThingsThatDontExist
Leftover breakfast meat.
April 24 / 2:11 a.m.
#ThingsThatDontExist
Quiet coffee-shop talkers.
April 22 / 2:11 a.m.
#ThingsThatDontExist
Proper use of youre and
your on Facebook.
April 21 / 2:09 a.m.

Gym rule: OK to wear school

logo on shirt or shorts, but
not at same time. YOURE
NOT ON THE BLEEPING
TEAM ANYMORE, HOSS.
April 19 / 7:19 p.m.
For your tax-day workout,
someone else is going to do
28% of your reps.
April 18 / 4:03 p.m.
Boston Marathoners: May
your feet stay fast, your
lungs strong, your weather
perfect, and your skin as
unchafed as possible.
April 18 / 9:30 a.m.
50 pounds of sand in
5-gallon buckets = farmers
walks. #makeyourown
workout #MYOW
April 15 / 6:15 a.m.
#SpringCleanYour: Inbox
April 14 / 8:44 p.m.

Life lesson from golf:

Theres only one guy who
looks good in a green jacket.
#Masters
April 10 / 7:18 p.m.
WTF is a pimento cheese
sandwich? #Masters
April 9 / 2:41 p.m.
Life lesson from golf: When
your ball lands in the sand,
take your damn shoes off
and go get it. #Masters
April 8 / 5:43 p.m.
Life lesson from golf: Just
because you swing hard
doesnt mean youll get in
the hole. #Masters
April 7 / 11:03 p.m.
Odd that todays Natl Beer
DayI was sure yesterday
was. And the day before
April 7 / 5:01 p.m.
Emojis are like bow ties and
raised voices: fine when
used strategically and
sparingly.
April 5 / 11:42 p.m.
When they play
#OneShiningMoment
tonight, you should plan
your next one. #GOALS
April 4 / 10:45 p.m.
Im hoping @DavidBlaine
celebrates his birthday by
making my jiggle disappear.
April 4 / 7:32 a.m.
If cartoon characters had a
Final Four bracket, Cinderella would be a Cinderella.
April 2 / 6:40 p.m.
(#1 seeds: Homer Simpson,
Bugs Bunny, Cartman.)
April 2 / 6:40 p.m.
Lose 12 pounds in a week!
#AprilFools or #Magazine
Coverline?
April 1 / 8:31 p.m.

*See April 21. Note: APOSTROPHE + RE STANDS FOR ARE.

SEAN McCABE

F r o m t o p : E v e r e t t C o l l e c t i o n /A l a m y ; E z r a S h a w / G e t t y I m a g e s ; L e s t e r C o h e n / G e t t y I m a g e s ; C o u r t e s y o f F o x

Love/hate treadmill interval

workout: Warmup, then
mile hard, rest, mile, rest,
mile, rest, mile, rest,
mile, rest, 10 one-minute
gassers, cooldown.
April 20 / 6:00 p.m.

Dustin Johnson, if you didnt

win the Masters, youre
still way out ahead. Ah,
@PaulinaGretzky
April 11 / 3:44 p.m.

HOW FAR WILL YOU TAKE IT

With spacious cargo capacity* and standard All-Wheel Drive with intelligence (AWD-i).
Prototype shown with options. Production model may vary. *Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and distribution. 2015 Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.