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ENJOY RESPONSIBLY.
©2018 BLITZ-WEINHARD BREWING CO., MEMPHIS, TN *FLAVORED SPARKLING MALT BEVERAGE
Per 12oz Lemon Lime: Cal 88, Carbs 1.7g, Fat 0g, Protein <1g. Per 12oz Passion Fruit & Strawberry Kiwi: Cal 88, Carbs 1.6g, Fat 0g, Protein <1g
 ®

06.2018
“MY HAPPINESS
ISN’T DEPENDENT ON
BEING A SUCCESS
WITHIN HOLLYWOOD.
THERE IS SO MUCH
MORE TO LIFE.”
—JAMES MARSDEN, p. 98

28 ARE YOU NINJA FIT? Train like a TV warrior

FROM 34 NEW RULES OF STRENGTH Stay fit after 40

THE COVER 62
78
LOOK BETTER! Grooming just got easier
CHOW DOWN Stuff your food, not your belly
103 NO-WEIGHT WORKOUT Marsden’s favorite
104 AMAZING SEX TONIGHT Rev up your engine!
133 YOUR BEST SUMMER BODY! Instructions inside
137 BIG ARMS! Your plan for beefier biceps

ART STREIBER MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 5

 124
MIND
OVER
MUSCLE
104 SEX DRIVE Exceed
Six red-hot trips your
to take with your  fitness
partner. Tell her goals 
to travel light. with
(Wink, wink.) these
brain-
based
strategies.

114 AWESOME!
This science-
backed health
secret will blow
your mind. Find
out why that’s a
108 STACKED good thing.
Twelve easy ways to 118 THE
turn your humble SURVIVOR
lunchtime sandwich His stepmother
into a nutritional sexually abused
powerhouse. him for years.
Now he’s
speaking out.

From left: Antonio Terron/Trunk Archive, JAMIE CHUNG, J. HEROUN, BENEDICT EVANS, ANDREW HETHERINGTON

110
ESSENTIAL TIPS Guarantee that the “Aioli” is just gussied-up
Eliminate temptation: Ask wedding DJ plays your mayo. Make your own:
a hotel staffer to empty request: Tell him the Add basil, lemon zest,
out the mini-fridge in your backstory behind why and parm. —page 110
room. —page 97 the bride and groom will
respond to it. —page 53 Take two minutes before
Refresh your beer— your workout to jot
just add ice! —page 38 At Wendy’s, order two down a plan: It’ll help
grilled chicken wraps; you focus. —page 36
Hold the steering wheel toss the second wrap
at 9 and 3, not 10 and 2. but keep the filling. You’ll Big guys should wear
You’ll lower your risk of boost the protein at solid-color swim trunks.
injury from a deployed minimal cost (it’s on the Slimmer guys can do That’s how many experts we
airbag. —page 42 value menu). —page 82 bold prints. —page 56 consulted in this issue, like Jari
With simple sprints, you
Hakanen, Ph.D., of the Finnish
can train your body to SHOCKER OF THE MONTH Institute of Occupational
scale a wall. —page 32 ONE IN 20 BOYS UNDER 18 IN THE Health: “You need other things
Create opportunities for UNITED STATES WILL SUFFER SEX in your life to build your identity
intimacy by following ABUSE. LEARN HOW TO LISTEN TO around, not just work.” Learn to
up an active “part 1” date
(hiking) with a chill part 2 A SURVIVOR, OR HOW TO SPEAK UP beat job burnout on page 90.
(dinner). —page 49 IF YOU ARE ONE. —“You Are Not Alone,” page 118
6 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
 


 
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 Ask Men’s Health THE LATEST SCIENCE-

BREAKTHROUGHS
BACKED NEWS TO
You asked and stand. We’ll also tell
Q we answered.
(Well, we found
you why oranges,
olives, and chickens
IMPROVE YOUR LIFE.
OThe new TV that dis-
appears when you
experts with the should become
want it to, page 21
answers.) Questions better acquainted,
about how those whether you should OWhy you want your
self-tanners work, worry about listeria son to look like you,
ways to head off outbreaks, and how page 22
a junk-food binge to get your kid away OWhat to do when
after the bar closes, from the screen and she wants sex and
and whether to out the door. Find you’re not feeling it,
tell your wife you all this and more on page 23
had a one-night page 15.
OHow you can build a
bigger chest without
weights, page 24
OThe tasty fruit that
makes you even
smarter, page 26

ADVANTAGE
kk Upgrade your patio party
game, page 38
kk Going to a wedding? Our hater’s
guide guarantees fun, page 53
kk Put on a jacket to feel cool.
MLS’s Bradley Wright-Phillips
demonstrates, page 58
kk Guilt-free drive-thru: Your value
menu cheat sheet, page 82
kk Work burnout puts more at risk
than just your career, page 90

TED CAVANAUGH (food), GIACOMO FORTUNATO (rope climber), BETH BISCHOFF (handstand), JEFFREY WESTBROOK/STUDIOD (fragrances), CATHERINE SERVEL (McPhee)
kk Should you take statins?
Two doctors debate, page 94
kk Fat-proof your world! And meet BODY
the trainer who once tipped the
scales at 565, page 96 SHOP
THINGS WE
PHOTOGR APHS by BETH BISCHOFF

Benchmark:
MASTER
THE WALL
CURL

LEARNED
Q Using dandruff
GET
THE
BODY
I N G shampoo preventively YOU
OM
WANT,
can dry out your scalp JUST
O and actually cause IN TIME
FOR
GR

BEACH
dandruff. —page 62

8
SEASON
Edited by

1
EBENEZER
SAMUEL, C.S.C.S.

0
Q You can donate your
Y
 
ou’ve stayed with Andy Speer, C.S.C.S., creator of the

2
Anarchy Abs workout, through the two workouts in our April

gnarly feet to science. and May issues. Now that summer’s on the horizon, it’s time
to finish strong. In designing this month’s four-week pro-
gram, Speer drew from his experience preparing for fitness

(In fact, the gnarlier the shoots. Go hard. In this workout, be sure to choose a weight that will
challenge you. Each week will bring tougher workouts, but you’ll love
the big payoff: A stronger, more ripped body this summer.

better!) —page 84 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 133

S
D

A W A R Q D’oh! In 40 percent
of burglaries, the thief
enters through an
open door or window.
Get a Beach Body
—page 46
X Some readers turn to the
back of this magazine first,
and this month’s workout won’t
disappoint. It’s the final chapter
of our Beach Body series, a total-
body fat burner designed to etch
your abs and build muscle. Plus,
the smart warmup will help you get
the most out of your workout. And
don’t miss the biceps-pumping plan
that’ll stretch your shirtsleeves. It
all starts on page 133.

BEHIND THE SCENES Before games,

soccer star Bradley Wright-Phillips
listens on his JLab Audio headphones
to grime, a fast-paced hip-hop–dance
hall hybrid. He also turns to Rinse FM
to keep up with the freshest music. See
him in the latest summer blazers on
page 58.

8 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018




 David Zinczenko
Acting Editorial Director
JOSEPH HEROUN Consulting Creative Director
BEN COURT, BILL STIEG Deputy Editors
MELISSA JEWSBURY Managing Editor
MATT GAGNE Features Director
JOE KITA, PAUL KITA Senior Editors
EBENEZER SAMUEL Fitness Editor
JERILYN COVERT Associate Editor
Q
JOSHUA ST. CLAIR Intern
GREGG STEBBEN Contributing Editor
HITOMI SATO Art Director
RAYMOND HO Deputy Art Director
HALEY KLUGE Designer
JEANNE GRAVES Director of Photography
SALLY BERMAN Deputy Director of Photography
SINIKIWE DHLIWAYO
Photo Production Coordinator
AMY WONG Contributing Photo Editor
SANDRA NYGAARD Fashion Director
DANIELLE NUSSBAUM
Contributing Editor, Entertainment
SUSAN WEST Copy Chief
MIKE WILSON Copy Editor
JENNIFER MESSIMER Research Chief
ALEX GARDNER Researcher
JANNA OJEDA Senior Production Manager
ANA ZAPATA Contributing Production Manager
JENNIFER GIANDOMENICO
MEN’S HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD Digital Production Leader
BRAIN HEALTH P. Murali Doraiswamy, M.D.; David Liebeskind, M.D. SEAN EVANS Digital Director
CARDIOLOGY John Elefteriades, M.D.; Prediman Krishan Shah, M.D.;
EJ DICKSON Deputy Editor
Eric Topol, M.D. DENTISTRY Mark Wolff, D.D.S., Ph.D. DERMATOLOGY
Adnan Nasir, M.D., Ph.D. EMERGENCY MEDICINE Travis Stork, M.D. JORDYN TAYLOR News Editor
ENDOCRINOLOGY Sandeep Dhindsa, M.D. EXERCISE SCIENCE Alexander ASHLEIGH MORLEY Branded Content Editor
Koch, Ph.D., C.S.C.S.; Mark Peterson, Ph.D., C.S.C.S.*D FAMILY MEDICINE
MARK EMERY Senior Social Media Editor
Ted Epperly, M.D. GASTROENTEROLOGY Mark Welton, M.D. MENTAL
HEALTH: Thomas Joiner, Ph.D.; William Pollack, Ph.D. NUTRITION Alan AMANDA BECKER Web Designer
Aragon, M.S.; Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., F.A.C.N., F.A.S.N., C.N.S.; Mike RYAN BIRD Video Producer
Roussell, Ph.D. OPHTHALMOLOGY Kimberly Cockerham, M.D., F.A.C.S.
OTOLARYN GOLOGY Jeremiah Alt, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S. PAIN MEDICINE JOHN DARGAN Associate Video Producer
Paul Christo, M.D., M.B.A. SEX & RELATIONSHIPS Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., KIM ST. CLAIR BODDEN Senior Vice President/
M.P.H., Justin Lehmiller, Ph.D. SLEEP MEDICINE W. Christopher Winter, International Editorial Director
M.D. SPORTS MEDICINE Bill Hartman, P.T., C.S.C.S.; Nicholas DiNubile, ANGELA KIM Executive Director, Business
M.D.; Jordan Metzl, M.D. TRAINING Mike Boyle, M.Ed., A.T.C.; Ben Bruno; Development and Global Licensing
Alwyn Cosgrove, C.S.C.S.*D; David Jack; UROLOGY Elizabeth Kavaler,
NATANYA VAN HEERDEN
M.D.; Larry Lipshultz, M.D.; Judd Moul, M.D., F.A.C.S. WEIGHT LOSS David International Editorial & Content Analyst
Katz, M.D., M.P.H., FACPM, F.A.C.P.; Jeff Volek, Ph.D., R.D.
PUBLISHED BY HEARST COMMUNICATIONS, INC. Steven R. Swartz President & Chief Executive Officer
James Marsden, photographed by Art Streiber. Styling
COVER CREW by Sandra Nygaard, grooming by David Stanwell/
Baxter of California/The Wall Group, prop styling by Faethgruppe, produc-
William R. Hearst III Chairman Frank A. Bennack, Jr. Executive Vice Chairman Catherine A. Bostron
Secretary Carlton Charles Treasurer HEARST MAGAZINES DIVISION David Carey President
Michael Clinton President, Marketing and Publishing Director Troy Young President, Digital Media
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Gilbert C. Maurer, Mark F. Miller Publishing Consultants
Customer Service: To change your address, pay a bill, renew your subscription, and more, go online to menshealth.com/
HOW customer-service, email HLHcustserv@rodale.com, call (800) 666-2303, or write Men’s Health Customer Service, P.O. Box
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10 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
Ronan Gardiner
Vice President/Publishing Director
ADVERTISING SALES
New York (212) 697-2040
CARYN KESLER
Executive Director, Luxury Goods
JOHN WATTIKER
Executive Director, Fashion & Retail
DOUG ZIMMERMAN Senior Grooming Director
BRIAN KANTOR Integrated Account Director,
New England & Canada
JOE PENNACHIO
Eastern Automotive Sales Director
SARA SCHIANO Integrated Account Director
GIL TIAMSIC Advertising Sales Director
JOHN CIPOLLA
Integrated Account Manager, Southeast
BRAD GETTELFINGER
Sales Manager, Hearst Direct Media
Chicago (312) 726-0365
AUTUMN JENKS Midwest Sales Director
EMILY MCCOY Midwest Sales Manager
Detroit (248) 614-6120
MARK FIKANY Integrated Automotive Director
Los Angeles (310) 615-4567
PATTI LANGE Western Ad Director
ANNE RETHMEYER Group Sales Director, Auto
San Francisco (415) 439-4601
ANDREW KRAMER Kramer Media
KATHERINE LOUIE Publisher’s Assistant
MADELINE BEDNAR, SAVANNAH BIGELOW,
ZOE FRITZ, SHELBY IANNELLO, KAYLA SAVAGE,
PILAR SILVA, TONI STARRS Sales Assistants
SAMANTHA IRWIN General Manager,
Hearst Men’s Group
KAREN FERBER Business Manager
KRIS SIESSMAYER Consumer
Marketing Director
PAUL BAUMEISTER Research Director
MIKE RUEMMLER Senior Production
Account Manager
CINDY WENRICH
Production Account Specialist
MARKETING SERVICES
CAMERON CONNORS Executive Director,
Head of Brand Strategy & Marketing
STEPHANIE BLOCK
Associate Integrated Marketing Director
JACKIE LEBOWITZ
Integrated Marketing Manager
ALISON BROWN Special Events Director
JIRI SEGER Creative Director, Marketing
CAROLINE TOMLINSON
Men’s Health carries the latest health, fitness,
and nutrition reporting to provide you with
useful information about your health. But
every body is different; individual diagnoses
and treatments can come only from a health
care practitioner. Printed in USA
 GAME CHANGER
The New, Reimagined 2019 Jeep Cherokee. ®
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–› E D ITO R’S N OTE
The case for chaos
“In space no one can hear you scream.”
“An adventure 65 million years in the
making.” “You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll
hurl.” As a lifelong editor, author, storyteller, and
brand builder, I’ve always been a sucker for a great
movie tagline. So you can probably understand my
reaction to the billboard I saw on a recent trip to
Los Angeles. It was for the second season of HBO’s
cerebral, violent sci-i masterpiece Westworld, in
which lifelike robots in an Old West theme park
rise up against their human creators. The billboard
showed a menacing mechanical vulture in the des-
ert, with three words: “Chaos takes control.”
That’s efective marketing copy for a dark show
tackling heady themes of life, death, and creation.
But it’s also curiously inspiring. As any successful
entrepreneur will tell you, it’s often when unex-
pected chaos descends—at work, at home, on the
playing ield, in a relationship—that you make your
savviest moves and nail your biggest wins. Change
breeds opportunity. Or, as one of my favorite
12 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
authors, Chuck Palahniuk, observed in
his book Invisible Monsters: “Our real
discoveries come from chaos—from
going to the place that looks wrong and
stupid and foolish.”
It’s a lesson learned all too well
by Westworld’s leading man, James
Marsden, who appears on Men’s Health’s
cover for the second time. The 44-year-
old star of X-Men, Enchanted, and other
terriic ilms lived a charmed existence
for much of his life—until his marriage
of 11 years came to an abrupt end. As he
revealed to us in an honest, emotional
interview, divorce was the irst time in
his life he felt he lost his equilibrium.
“It was scary and sad,” he said, ight-
ing back tears, “and it made me pull
everything into focus. I needed to focus
on what’s important. I needed to heal.
So that’s who I am now because of that. I
know things you regret can be catalysts
for good things.”
Today Marsden is happy, his career is
motoring at full throttle, he’s healthier
than ever (see page 98 for proof), and
he’s in a great relationship. Marsden’s
hard-won words about embracing
change and staying positive are an
inspiration. I hope you give them a read.
And speaking of change, if you’re a
close observer of this magazine, you’re
probably aware that it has arrived at a
new and exciting chapter. After irst
joining the magazine in 1993, starting
my 13-year tenure as editor-in-chief in
Styling: Sandra Nygaard, grooming: David Stanwell/Baxter of California/The Wall Group, prop styling: Faethgruppe, production: Bauie Productions
2000, and recently revisiting the brand
as it charted a new course under the
stewardship of the Hearst Corporation,
I will be saying goodbye to Men’s Health.
But I’m excited to pass the reins to
Rich Dorment, a whip-smart young
editor who worked for Esquire magazine
REALITY CHECK for many years and was most recently
James and Dave at a plugged into the high-paced tech world
board meeting on the
beach in Malibu. at Wired. He’s now here to lead and is
irmly committed to giving you what
you need to achieve what you want in
life. “The old rulebooks about itness,
wellness, and success have been torn
up,” he says. “We’re writing our own
rules as we strive to become stronger,
faster, better versions of ourselves—
better partners, better parents, better
friends, and better men.”
So expect even more topnotch stories
and aspirational advice—along with
the best foods to eat, gear to buy, and
everything you need to be the best man
you can possibly be.
So what’s your tagline?
David Zinczenko
ACTING EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
ART STREIBER


 





 





 


 








 ASK
Edited by
JERILYN
COVERT
MEN′S
BONUS TIP
Want to make your
suntan pop? Wear
pink, says style editor
Sandra Nygaard.
HEALTH
LIFE’S QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
SPRITZ IT
Tan-Luxe The Water
Goes on clear, dries
quickly, and smells fresh.
A radiant glow develops
in a couple of hours and
lasts about a week. Best
for on-the-go guys. $54
PAINT IT
St. Tropez Self Tan
Express Face Sheet Mask
World’s first self-tanning
sheet mask! Lasts three
days or so. Best for guys
who’ve actually heard of
a sheet mask. $9
MOUSSE IT
Xen-Tan Fresh Tanning
Mousse It has a fresh
citrus scent and lasts four
to five days. For guys who
hate stinky tanners and
like the soft, airy feel of
mousse. $48 for 8 oz
MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
WIPE IT
Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha
Beta Glow Pads These
odorless pads for your
face come in individual
packets. Results last two
to three days. Great for
travelers. $38 for 20
SPRAY IT
Self-tanner booth For
an all-over tan, close your
eyes and mouth and don’t
breathe when it hits your
face. (Inhaling DHA is bad,
the FDA warns.) Lasts up
to a week. About $40
AIRBRUSH IT
Total-body Lasts up to 10
days. Find a tech with at
least a year of experience
and, better yet, certifica-
tion by the National Spray
Tanning Professional
Association. About $60
15
ASK
MEN′S
HEALTH
Relationships
I CHEATED ON MY WIFE,
A ONE-NIGHT STAND.
DO I TELL HER? —RICH, Anaheim, CA
hy would you want to? We’re
W not being flippant here—your
answer helps decide this. If you
want to relieve your guilt, then no, probably
not, says psychologist Les Parrott, Ph.D.
Confess to a confidant or therapist. Then
ask yourself why you cheated. Were you
feeling sexually neglected or frustrated?
Trying to get back at your wife? Whether
you confess or not, share those feelings
with her. Say, “I want our relationship to
be the best it can be and to know how
I can be a better husband.” That gives her
an on-ramp to share anything, and she’ll
be more open to hearing you out. Now
if you think you might cheat again, or your
partner’s health is at risk, or she could
find out—then confess. Say, “I need to tell
you something that’s going to be painful.
I want to preface it by saying that I love you
but I made a mistake.” Brace yourself. It
will cause her pain. But it may also lead to
healthy growth in your relationship.
16 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
Is falling asleep on the
couch a bad thing? —CARL, Hartford, CT
Here is what’s bad: Passing out in front
of the TV at night only to wake at 2 a.m.
and slink off to bed. First, those hours
aren’t helping much: “The noise and
light of the TV is hell on deep sleep,” says
MH sleep advisor W. Christopher Winter,
M.D. Second: Do this too often and you’ll
train your brain to see the couch as a
sleeping spot instead of the bedroom.
To nap right: Keep it to 20 minutes, ide-
ally before 2 p.m. Consistency is key. Feel
yourself nodding off at the wrong time?
Get up and find some bright light.
I KNOW FAMILY MEDICAL HISTORY IS IMPORTANT.
BUT WHO AND WHAT DO I ASK, AND HOW FAR BACK DO I GO?
Most important are parents, siblings,
and children. Next come grandpar-
ents, aunts and uncles, nieces and
nephews, and half siblings. It’s a
touchy topic, so start with relatives
you connect with, says Joann
Bodurtha, M.D., of Johns Hopkins, an
expert in genetics and inherited dis-
eases. Bring it up at family gatherings,
especially funerals, when mortality
is front and center. Open with broad
questions (“Let’s talk family medical
history—any patterns I should know
about?”). Get more specific and
NUTRITION
I always
eat crap
when
I drink
alcohol.
How do I
put a stop
to that? —TONY, Newark, NJ
Pregame your eating. Preemptive
measures while you’re still sober
can work. By “crap,” we’ll assume
you mean food that’s sweet, salty,
energy-dense, or all three. Those are
exactly what humans have an innate
liking for, says Martin Yeomans, a
U.K.-based experimental psychol-
ogist who’s been studying eating
and drinking behaviors for 30 years.
Alcohol turns Thoughtful Anthony
into Uninhibited Tony, making these
foods harder to resist. There is even
evidence suggesting that alcohol
has a direct pharmacological
impact on appetite, Yeomans says.
Before you go out, eat some nuts
or avocado, says Boston University
nutritionist Joan Salge-Blake, Ed.D.,
R.D.N. Healthy fats stay in your
stomach longer than carbs do and
help delay your body’s absorption of
alcohol—possibly helping you make
more deliberate food choices as a
result. At the bar, alternate between
alcohol and water or seltzer. And if
a craving does hit, try popcorn. Its
volume will quickly make you feel
full, so there’s less room for crap. Dean Isidro/Trunk Archive (previous); TED CAVANAUGH, food styling: Jamie Kimm, prop styling:
Angela Campos/Bernstein & Andriulli (chicken thighs); Getty Images (5), Shutterstock (1)
—GRADY, Austin, TX
personal as you go. Ask about heart
disease, diabetes, hypertension,
cholesterol, and cancer—plus
anything unusual or unexplained.
Note ages when conditions struck
or relatives passed. Also ask about
your ancestors, since some risks are
linked to ethnic heritage; people
of Ashkenazi Jewish descent from
Europe have higher rates of a
range of genetic disorders. For an
assist, use the Surgeon General’s
free My Family Health Portrait Tool
(familyhistory.hhs.gov).
 FITNESS
Slim. The CDC estimates
WHAT ARE only 1,600 cases of listeria I’ll be hiking at 8,000
THE ODDS? poisoning and 260 deaths
annually in the United States.
feet next month. How
DYING In fact, you’re 1,000 times can I acclimate now?
—JEREMY, Oklahoma City, OK
FROM ONE more likely to die in a car crash
than from listeria. If you’re
OF THOSE worried, just avoid raw sprouts,
LISTERIA unpasteurized soft cheeses
(brie), and deli meats that have
OUTBREAKS been in your fridge over two
—JACK, Queens, NY weeks (gross). And buckle up!

ACTUALLY DELICIOUS
I’M WORKING OUT
CHICKEN THIGHS LIKE CRAZY, BUT
I’M STILL NOT
+ ORANGES +
GREEN OLIVES
JACKED. WHAT AM
I DOING WRONG?
—ZACH, Kansas City, MO

Training like crazy

sounds good, but
are you training,
like, smart? Getting
jacked takes more
than a bunch of HIIT
classes, says Men’s
Health fitness edi-

tor Ebenezer Sam-
uel, C.S.C.S. Some
intense lifters can’t
bear to take a day
of and don’t get
enough sleep. But
sleep is when your
muscles grow, and
rest days let you lift
more in your next
session. Give that
a shot, and have
a plan. Here’s an
easy one: During
the week, do the
following workouts
in this order: Pull
moves (rows and
pullups, in that
order), push moves
(pushups, bench
presses, skullcrush-
ers), leg moves
(squats, lunges),
pull moves, push
moves. Rest on
weekends.
T
urn up the heat. Hyperther-
mic training (using heat as a
training stress) has long been
known to improve cardio-
vascular fitness—and new research
shows that it creates a cross-tolerance
for high elevations as well. “On a cel-
lular level, stress is stress, whether it’s
from heat or low oxygen,” says Oliver
Gibson, Ph.D., of Brunel University’s
Centre for Human Performance in
London. Your body reacts to intense
heat by forming “heat shock proteins,”
which strengthen red blood cells and
improve bloodflow to deliver extra
oxygen to muscles—exactly what
would happen if you were to acclimate
at altitude. Gibson sees best results in
those training in 101°F for 30 minutes a
day, 10 days in a row (resting in the heat
for 30 minutes after each session). You
could put your bike trainer in a small
room with a space heater. Or layer up
before a run; studies suggest you may
see a similar benefit. If you notice signs
of heatstroke (unusually fast heart rate
or breathing, inability to sweat, dizzi-
ness, nausea), stop, drink fluids, and
take a cool shower or bath.

12
Minimum time you should spend
standing on the pedals for every
hour of cycling. You’ll reduce your
odds of genital numbness, the Journal
of Urology reports. Also, help prevent
saddle sores by adjusting the handle-
MINUTES bar higher or even with the seat.

MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 17

ASK
MEN′S
HEALTH

DO I HAVE TO
CLEAN MY
DISHWASHER?
—JAMES, Athens, OH

Maybe. Fungi and

bacteria can infiltrate
a dishwasher through FATHERHOOD
the water, food parti-
cles, even pets. And
some can survive heat
My son’s a gamer. Guy Wisdom
I’M THINKING ABOUT
and detergent. When
scientists in Denmark How do I get him GETTING BOTOX. WHAT
DO I NEED TO KNOW?
and Belgium swabbed
the rubber seals of 24
dishwashers in private
to go outside? —CHRIS, Colorado Springs, CO
—CARY, New York, New York

homes, they found

potentially pathogenic
fungi and bacteria on
every one. That can
be harmful to people
with cystic fibrosis
or chronic illnesses,
infants, and older folks
if they breathe in the
dishwasher steam. So our bank balance, for starters. Botox
use high heat and wipe
down that rubber seal
at the end of a cycle. Y injections can cost $500 to $1,500
(depending on the number of facial
areas treated) and last three to
five months, says Joshua Zeichner, M.D.,
director of cosmetic research at Mount
Sinai’s department of dermatology.
Plenty of guys do it, not just TV reporters.
One in 10 procedures are on men. “I’ve
I LIKE A PEPSI ONCE IN A WHILE, OKAY? been seeing a lot of guys in finance
WHAT’S WORSE: DIET, REGULAR, OR MEXICAN? —TIM, Seattle, WA who are trying to stay competitive with
younger men in the workplace,” says Dr.
Diet. Unlike regular or Mexican more frequent colds and digestive
Zeichner. Botox is a neurotoxin that keeps
(sweetened with sugar), diet soda distress. Plus, artificial sweetness
your face muscles from constricting.
has aspartame, which preliminary can prime your brain to crave
So don’t go bargain hunting, or you risk
research suggests adversely calorie-packed picks, Guizar says.
affects your gut microbiome, says Some studies even link it to weight
droopy eyelids or a “frozen” expression.
dietitian Carolina Guizar, R.D. You gain. So stick with regular or Mexi- Find a board certified dermatologist or
plastic surgeon with experience working
Getty Images (4)

need that beneficial bacteria to can. But remember, each can is still
break down food and support your 150 empty calories. Keep it to one on men—otherwise you could end up
immune system, so messing with every other week. As with anything, with an overly arched, feminine brow.
it can lead to such problems as the dose makes the poison.

18 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018


    

 
  
   
 

 TECH
BREAKTHROUGHS
IT’LL HELP PLAN
YOUR DAY, COUNT
YOUR STEPS,
AND PLAY YOUR
FAVORITE TUNES.
ON YOUR WRIST
A GOOD FIT
With a frame that’s 11.2 millimeters thick,
the new Fitbit Versa is even slimmer than
the Apple Watch Series 3. The subtly curved
design makes this smartwatch feel unintimidating,
and the battery lasts four-plus days on a single charge.
Courtesy Fitbit, courtesy Samsung (TV), courtesy Solgaard (pack), courtesy Lenovo (Smart Display)
The streamlined interface keeps tabs on the things
most guys want to know (heart rate and step track-
ing) and can coach you through everything from a
workout to a breathing session. From $200, itbit.com
30
That’s the total daily time
spent playing Grand Theft
Auto V that does not result
in changes in aggression or
anxiety, according to a
Molecular Psychiatry study.
Researchers had 77 people
play either GTA V (a violent
video game) or The Sims
3 (a lifestyle video game)
for a half hour a day for
MINUTES two months; a third group
played no video games at
all. No significant changes
in behavior were noted in
any of the three groups.
ON YOUR WALL
JUST
BLENDING IN
Don’t just turn your TV off—make it disappear. This is
the magic trick of Samsung’s 2018 line of QLED TVs. In
“ambient mode,” the unit goes all chameleon: You can
choose to display decorative content that blends
seamlessly with your room. No looming black mirror
in your house. From $1,900, samsung.com
GET
SMART(ER)
In 2017, you ran
your smart home
through a kind of
smart speaker. Later
this summer you can
control it through
the more elegant
Lenovo Smart Dis-
play with the Google
Assistant, a slick
blend of speaker,
tablet display, and
objet d’art. Check
your Nest Cam feed,
crank tunes, and
ON THE GO
even video chat with
your college bud-
dies. If only it could
TOUCH OF SOLAR
microwave your Embrace the duality of
nachos too. From modern life: Get outside
$200, lenovo.com
with this Solgaard Lifepack
backpack. Its solar-powered
battery pack never stops
soaking up juice (enough to
charge your iPhone six times)
and doubles as a Bluetooth
speaker. It’s a good choice
for your next dayhike or just
surviving the urban jungle.
$155, solgaard.co
MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 21
HEALTH&SEX
BREAKTHROUGHS
DAD POWER
LIKE
FATHER,
LIKE
SON
Literally. A new study
from Binghamton
University found
that new dads whose
babies looked like
them spent more
time with them and—
here’s the important
part—the babies were
healthier at 12 months
than infants who
didn’t resemble their
fathers. These were
nonresident dads,
so part of the efect is
probably due to the
extra certainty the
baby is theirs. More
research is needed
to tell if the health
beneits for the child
PAIN RELIEF
extend to cohabitat-
ing families, but the
indings underscore Go on,
the importance of a
father’s involvement hold
hands
in child raising, the
study authors say.
22 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
PERCENTAGE REDUCTION IN CANCER RISK IN
PEOPLE WITH THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF VITAMIN D
VERSUS THOSE WITH THE LOWEST, ACCORDING
TO A NEW LONG-TERM STUDY IN BMJ
Grasping the hand of a loved one
synchronizes your breathing, heart rate,
and brain-wave patterns and eases pain
in women, a new study reveals. Scientists
put 22 couples in three situations: in
separate rooms, sitting together without
touching, and sitting while holding
hands. When they subjected the women
to mild heat pain and checked their
brain-wave synchronization and pain
suppression, they discovered those
metrics to be highest in the handholders.
Empathetic touch triggers pain-killing
parts of the brain, scientists speculate.
ALERT!
Head of
heart
trouble
Migraines? Beware: In
a 19-year study involving
more than a half million
people, migraine suf-
ferers had higher risks
of heart attack, stroke,
blood clots, and irregular
heartbeat than migraine-
free folks. One possible
reason is the frequent
use of anti-inflammatory
drugs (associated with
heart problems) and the
fact that a migraine can
immobilize you, promot-
ing blood clots. In fact,
migraines should be
considered a “potent
and persistent risk factor”
for most cardiovascular
diseases, researchers say.
If you get migraines and
have other heart disease
risk factors, see a doctor.
SAVE YOUR HIDE
Getty Images (4), Anna Dabrowska/thelicensingproject.com (couple), Alamy (1)
our skin is crawling with
Y bacteria, but just like
the good bugs in your
gut, these microbes thwart
disease. One type, Staphy-
lococcus epidermidis, may
even help prevent skin can-
cer, UC San Diego research
indicates. These bugs pro-
duce a chemical compound
(6-HAP) that suppresses
cancer cell formation in
mice. More research is
needed, but avoiding anti-
bacterial washes, which kill
good and bad bacteria, may
help protect you from the
sun (along with sunscreen).
LOVE BOOST!

Go slower
That’s the big takeaway from the
informal but revealing research
of Emma Koenig, creator of the
Tumblr “How to Make Me Come,”
where women dish on their

WHEN YOU’RE
partners’ bedroom skills (or lack
thereof). “Unless you’re trying to
catch a plane, what’s the rush?”

JUST NOT
asks Koenig, who includes some
of that material in her new book,
Moan: Anonymous Essays on

FEELING IT
Female Orgasm, out late May. The
blog gives women a place to open
up about their sexual needs. The
results are insightful, funny, and
hot. One suggestion: “Explore
Ever turn down sex? Nah,
me with your mouth, like I’m the
best treat you’ve ever had.”

» you’re a guy. Well, a recent

study in the journal Sex

ONE
Roles calls BS. Forty percent of
men revealed that they sometimes
feign interest to appear more mas-
FACT OF LIFE
culine or to avoid upsetting their
partner. (See comments from the
participants below.) Growing up,
men are socialized to embrace their

YEAR
sexuality, to encourage and initiate
sex, says study author Sarah Murray,
Ph.D. They may feel compelled
to have sex even when they’re
not in the mood. That can lead to
diminished desire in the long run.
So let her know you’re not feeling
it—and these are the key words—
“right now,” Murray says. Offer an
alternative (spooning, a movie) and a
compliment. And initiate next time.
“I’m pretty much ready all they’re somehow inferior
the time.”—Michael, 33 or that they’re not going
to look like a masculine
“It’s how guys are built. male in front of their bud-
A guy will not say no.” dies—or potentially in
—Thomas, 55 front of women as well.”
—Carl, 31
“There is much that is not
understood about men’s “I do feel a societal pres-
internal life. And I think in sure as a man that I, if
large part men are being I’m being a ‘real man,’
shortchanged as being should always want any
very simple creatures.” sex that is available...
—Robert, 40 When I say no to sex, and
I do, there is a part of me
“Guys think that if they that feels guilt.”
don’t want it all the time —Joshua, 33

MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 23

FITNESS
BUZZWORD: COMPLEX A circuit in which you use
one piece of equipment and one load, and do the moves
without putting the equipment down. Try this barbell complex:
5 deadlifts, 5 bent-over rows, 5 shrugs. Do 3 rounds.

BREAKTHROUGHS
STRENGTH TRAINING MOTIVATION

PUSH UP, Music

to your
UP, AND heart
Turbocharge your
AWAY! performance with
tunes. A Texas
Tech study of 127
Think body-
❱❱ weight moves
can’t build muscle?
middle-aged people
(average age 53),
most with diabetes
In a small, month- and hypertension,
long study from found that those
North Dakota State, who listened to
upbeat, enjoyable
moderately it men music lasted nearly
either did pushups or a minute longer on
bench-pressed three a treadmill cardiac
days a week. Those stress test. Most
who did pushups, healthy people
struggle after just six
predictably, fared minutes of the test.
better in pushup
progression tests. Meet the Jaybird
Run. Finally, wireless
But both groups workout earphones
that won’t fall out
saw similar gains in of your ears while
chest size and 1-rep you’re training. $180,
jaybirdsport.com
bench-press max.
Want a bigger chest
but can’t ind a gym?
Drop and give us 20.

BONNINSTUDIO/Stocksy (pushup), courtesy Jaybird (earbuds), Ocus Focus/Getty Images (legs)

S M T W T F S

8–12
This is the pace at which
recreational runners
conserve the most
energy, according an
International Journal
MINUTES
PER MILE
blood lactate levels and
oxygen consumption.
“We found that the most
economical running
speed was often below
RECOVERY

#NODAYSOFF
Conventional wisdom says you shouldn’t do total-body
workouts on back-to-back days; your muscles need time
to recover. But one small study in the Journal of Sports
Medicine and Physical Fitness suggests that recovery
of Sports Physiology the speed sustained can wait. When researchers compared athletic men who
Performance study. by the runners during a
U.K. researchers tested marathon,” says study did total-body resistance work three days straight and
92 recreational and
high-level endurance
author Matthew Black, those who rested 48 hours between the same workouts,
M.Sc. If you’re training
runners on a treadmill, for a long-distance they noted similar gains after seven weeks. Your training
increasing the speed event, aim to stay within plan should build in rest, but if you’re tight on time, three
every four minutes this range to maximize
and measuring their your efficiency. consecutive total-body days won’t stall your progress.

24 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

toyota.com/camry
 NUTRITION
BREAKTHROUGHS
HEART HEALTH

THE FISH FIX

A Mediterranean-style diet
❱❱ that includes four or more
servings of ish a week may be just
the ticket for your ticker, a study
in the journal Nutrition, Metabo-
lism, and Cardiovascular Diseases
suggests. The heart disease risk of
people on such a diet was 38 per-
cent lower than that of people who
ate less ish. Fatty ish (like salmon,
trout, mackerel, and herring) were
more closely linked to reduced heart
risk than lean ish were. That’s
likely due to their higher omega 3
content, the researchers say.
HIGH STEAKS
The fattier the
fish, the more
heart-healthy
it is. Salmon’s a Liver,
great choice.
meet joe
Brew up better health:
In a Journal of Hepa-
tology study, people
who often drank coffee
or herbal tea showed
lower rates of liver scar- Guac
ring, a common marker
of liver disease. This
this way
Dip tip: People who
study aligns with past ate a medium avocado
research showing sim- daily for six months saw
ilar effects of caffeine big boosts in working
on liver scar formation memory (46 percent)
and suggesting that and problem-solving
polyphenols in tea may efficiency (47 percent),
have liver-protective a study in the journal

84
properties. Caffeine Nutrients found. Avo-
fiend? People who cados are high in lutein,
Food styling: Jamie Kimm (salmon), Getty Images (2)

exceeded three cups a pigment in your eyes

of coffee a day had an and brain linked to
even lower risk of liver cognition; scientists at
disease. Refill? Tufts University point to
Percentage of Americans their monounsaturated
who agree that nutrition
information labels should fatty acids, which may
be required by law on all
packaged food sold in
promote lutein activity.
grocery stores. The kicker? Adding oil to them or
Only 13 percent say they
always read them. cooking them may yield
REUTERS/IPSOS even greater benefits.

26 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 TED CAVANAUGH

 SEPT. 15-16
2018
CLASSIC DISTANCE
1/2 MILE SWIM
17 MILE BIKE
4 MILE RUN

OLYMPIC DISTANCE
1.5K SWIM
40K BIKE
10K RUN

NAUTICAMALIBUTRI.COM
ADVANTAGE
UPGRADE YOUR WHOLE LIFE

28
 ARE YOU
TOUGH
ENOUGH
TO BE A
NINJA
WARRIOR?
Is a month’s worth of
prep enough to complete
a qualifying run on NBC’s
American Ninja Warrior?
By Clint Carter

Q
Whenever I close my eyes,
I can still see those big red balls
swinging above me. Screw those
orbs. They’ve bucked many into the cold
waters below, but I thought I would be
diferent.
But let’s back up. A month before these
visions, I met Drew Drechsel, an elite
ninja trainer, to prep for a qualifying
run on American Ninja Warrior, which
launches its 10th season on May 30 on
NBC (8 p.m. ET/PT). The show reaches
7 million viewers a week. It has two hosts,
a sideline commentator, and 27 cameras.
The season begins with six-obstacle
qualifying runs in six cities nationally,
and ninja wannabes relentlessly train
for these events in specialized gyms and
obstacle-laden backyards. So yes, it’s a
pretty big deal.
Drechsel, an eight-time qualiier,
agreed to guide me through a gauntlet
of tests to assess my muscle and balance.
So here I am, outside his 5,500-square-
foot gym, New Era Ninjas, in Hamden,
Connecticut, ready to work. He throws the
STAY ON THE BALL doors open, revealing towers of scafold-
To outdo the author ing, aisles of things to swing from, and two
on the unsteady gargantuan warped walls. My palms start
overpass obstacle
featured in every ANW to sweat. “Don’t be intimidated,” he says.
course, lean forward Over the next two days, Drechsel
slightly and run teaches me to hang from a pegboard, hurl
with choppy steps.
my body across pullup bars, and run up a

MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 29

 A STRENGTH

14½-foot warped wall. During one critical

lesson, he shows me how to cross a gauntlet
of foam blocks (called dominoes), a sim-
ulation of ANW’s Spinning Bridge, those
diabolical big red balls. “Keep your body
weight forward, stay light on your toes,
and maintain a steady speed,” Drechsel
tells me. After a half hour, I’m sprinting
over the blocks. This obstacle I can do.
Drechsel tackles these challenges on
a daily basis but insists he’s not working
out. The ninja philosophy is seductive:
You have fun. “I just like to play,” he says.
“I come in here not with an idea of ‘I need
to do this.’ You should never have to work
hard to do something that looks easy.”
Except two days in, it’s not easy for me.
My arms are howling in pain, my fore-
arms are swollen, and I can’t straighten
my elbows. Maybe I’m not cut out for
ninja glory. Thomas Nesser, Ph.D., a
professor of kinesiology at Indiana State
University, kind of agrees.
The swelling is probably just muscle
tissue damage from trying something
new, he says. My body may be diferent
than Drechsel’s; I know from a genetic
Follow the path of the ninja
These moves will build the strength you need for body-weight mastery.
Knee-to-elbow lowering your torso until your
OFF THE WALL
Once you conquer
the Warped Wall,
other activities—like
hopping over your
backyard fence—
will be far easier.
report a few years back that I don’t pro-
duce the protein alpha-actinin-3, which
is common in the fast-twitch ibers of
power athletes. That could explain why
I don’t dig gym sessions like this: I’m
more of an endurance guy, not a ninja.
But Nesser has another concern:
Can I stick with this? “You’re going to
be successful in what you enjoy,” he says.
placement every set. Once
Despite the pain and doubt, I think I’m
enjoying this swinging and hanging and
trampolining around. In one of Drech-
sel’s open classes, I meet Matt Zeoli, a
53-year-old regular. “What we do in here,”
the gym lifer says, “is just fun.”
I’m starting to feel the same way. This
isn’t the rote lifting of body weight; it’s
teaching me how to move my body more
eiciently, to redirect my momentum
in midair. I never want to cut a session
short. I want more time on the ropes and
pegboards. I can’t feel my forearms, but
I can feel myself improving.
Fast-forward a month, and I’m stand-
GIACOMO FORTUNATO; Casey Durkin/NBC (previous page)

thighs are parallel to the loor. you can do 12 straight reps,

Start hanging from a bar,
hands just slightly beyond
shoulder-width, palms facing
away. Tighten your core and
lift your knees as high as you
can; round your back until
your knees touch your elbows.
Return to the start slowly.
Aim for 12, which is the num-
ber Drechsel has his students
do at the start of each session.
Jump squat
Stand with feet shoulder-
width apart. Bend your knees,
Stand back up explosively,
jumping up as you do. Land
softly and immediately begin
the next rep; do 3 sets of 10.
Uneven grip pullup
Hang from a bar, your hands
shoulder-width apart in an
uneven grip (right palm fac-
ing you, left facing away). Pull
yourself up, challenging your
core and lats and building the
strength needed to hang from
anything. Switch your hand
try hanging from the bar and
switching hand placement
every rep.
Quadrupedal crawl
Start on all fours, your arms
and legs straight, your body
long and low. Crawl forward.
Move your right arm and left
leg at the same time, and then
your left arm and right leg
at the same time. Go back and
forth like this in the gym for
3 minutes; do 2 sets.
ing at the irst of six obstacles at Univer-
sal Studios in Los Angeles. I’m a special
entry into the course; I’m not allowed to
make the second round.
Not that I would. I’ve already watched
some two dozen people run the course,
and not one survived to the end. The irst
guy, who had python arms, pointed at the
sky and screamed, “warped wall, baby!”
He fell on the second obstacle.
So I utter no brazen guarantees as I
sprint toward my irst obstacle, a pair

30 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

 A STRENGTH

of rotating platforms called

Archer Steps. I complete them,
leaping out over the water,
catching a rope, and swinging
forward onto a platform. The
crowd erupts.
Now it’s on to the second
obstacle, Jumper Cables. I
hear Drechsel shout, “Keep
your arms long!” I manage
to follow his advice, swinging
on nunchuck-type handles
toward a punching bag on a zip
line. I catch the bag and ride it
to safety. Two down.
JUST HOLD The crowd is going bananas
ON! TO BUILD (at least that’s how I remember
THE IRON GRIP it). I check my forearms. They
OF A NINJA should be blazing right now,
WARRIOR, DO but the adrenaline cocktail in
PLENTY OF my bloodstream seems to have
PULLUPS AND given me barbaric strength.
BAR HANGS, I’m Neo from The Matrix. I’m
AND LEARN TO Jackie Fucking Chan.
HANG FROM I’m unstoppable as I step
SMALLER to the third obstacle: the
HOLDS TOO, Spinning Bridge. You know
SUCH AS how this goes, of course: I get
PEGBOARD cocky. Halfway across the
ATTACHMENTS. bridge, my eyes lift to the next
platform, where I think I’ll be
Why it’s worth being a warrior in two seconds. My foot falls
heavy on the ball in front of me.
Working out among ninjas builds strength and technical prowess. Strength
It spins. I’m in the water.
That’ll prepare your body for a host of real-world challenges. Technique
Splash. Game over. I’m not
the one after all.
IMPROVE YOUR AGILITY GET A GRIP
Take on: The floating steps. Expect to encounter a Take on: Moving objects. Every American Ninja War- But now I understand why
set of platforms, typically angled downward toward the rior course eventually tests your grip, leaving you to people train year-round for
water, early in any American Ninja Warrior course. Your cling to something (think giant logs or suspended door this unforgiving, one-shot
challenge: Trusting your feet. Most people try to go from frames) as it rolls, slides, or drops you to the next plat- course. It’s like a giant adult
platform to platform by leaping off their strongest foot, form. Hold on tight!
but you should alternate feet. playground. In the history
Prep for it: Hang from bars and towels for up to 15 of American Ninja Warrior,
Prep for it: Single-leg hops build that trust (and minutes; beginners can do this twice a day. To add more
only one person has actually
strength) in both legs. Stand on one leg and leap forward, challenge, do pullup reps, hanging from towels. You can
landing on two feet. Aim for 3 sets of single-leg bounds also do farmer’s walks: Hold heavy dumbbells at your reached the inal inish line
per leg, or 3 sets of 30-second single-leg hops. sides and walk back and forth for time. to earn the $1 million prize.
The winner stopped com-
peting, citing a “lack of desire
HONE YOUR FOOTWORK CLIMB A WALL after already accomplishing
Take on: Unsteady overpasses. Your ability to quickly Take on: The Warped Wall. How much do you trust my ultimate goal.”
move your feet is put to the test when you attempt to yourself? ANW’s most iconic obstacle, the curved wall
On American Ninja War-
cross the obstacle that led to our author’s Ninja Warrior at the end of every qualifying run, will tell you. The stan-
PTSD. In his case it was big red balls, but in yours it could dard height is 14½ feet, and the process for surviving it rior, failure is its own gift,
easily be a constantly rotating log or a run across col- is simple: Sprint, take two or three massive steps, and motivation to keep doing what
lapsing blocks. then leap with complete confidence. Drechsel forever refuses to
Prep for it: The key is light, choppy feet. “Lean for- Prep for it: Because you never know when you’ll need call “training.” It’s the reason
ward and keep your pace steady,” says Drechsel. You to climb a wall. Running sprints will improve your speed that, by this time next year,
can train that by running across an agility ladder as and explosiveness to scale the Warped Wall, but you’ll my forearms will be stronger
quickly as you can; do 3 or 4 sets of this. Don’t just run need upper-body punch to grab the ledge and hoist
forward, though; also run through the ladder laterally, yourself up. Build that in the gym with pullups and tri-
and my balance better. With
making sure each foot lands in each box. ceps pressdowns. luck, I’ll get another crack at
this in 2019.
When I do, I’ll be ready.

32 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

 T H E N E W E AU D E PA R F U M
D I O R .C O M
MACY’S
T H E N E W E AU D E PA R F U M
 INSIDEOUT EVENTS &
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 A
FITNESS

STAY
IN THE
GAME
How do athletes perform
at a top level beyond
age 40? This 41-year-old
reveals strategies that
even regular guys can use.
By Jeff Bercovici

I’m not an elite athlete. I’m just a guy on Periodize your regimen

Q
the precipice of middle age who enjoys
running, biking, soccer, and tennis. If I can
push myself to my physical limit a couple of times
a week and still have the energy to crawl around
with my daughter, then I’m satisfied.
That makes me a useful filter. The pros have
unlimited budgets and few demands on their
waking hours beyond making themselves fitter.
If you want to spend thousands—or tens of
thousands—to sleep in an oxygen pod wearing
infrared pajamas, then knock yourself out. But
chances are you care only about things that
work, are safe, and fit your schedule and budget.
So trust the guy with a day job, a bad back, and
a new baby. Here’s what I learned in two years of
reporting for my book Play On.
The importance of periodizing
and the risks of not doing so
have been drilled into my head
by the likes of soccer coach Ray-
mond Verheijen and exercise
scientist Trent Stellingwerf,
Ph.D. For an elite athlete, peri-
odizing can mean creating a
structured program of buildup
and tapering that yields peak
itness at a precise time. For me,
it’s more about the principles:
ramping up training gradually,
preparing my body for speciic
demands, and avoiding fatigue.
If you invite me to play soccer
and I haven’t been keeping in
soccer shape, or if I’m nursing
an injury I could play through, I
say no. Benching yourself sucks,
but it doesn’t suck as much
as missing an entire season
because you got hurt.
Emphasize recovery
Elite lifters end their workouts
diferently than the rest of us
do. Strength coaches talk about
loading and unloading—that
is, the former should always
be followed by the latter. I now
think in those terms. “Unload-
ing” for nonlifters can mean
yoga, foam-rolling, ice tubbing,
running in water, or meditating.
It encompasses both recovery
and range-of-motion work that
prevents the sorts of movement
limitations and compensations

34 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 JOSE MANDOJANA




 

 
 



 

 






 




  









 
  
 A FITNESS

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE TRYING

SOMETHING NEW AND SUCKING AT IT,
THEN SUCKING A LITTLE LESS EVERY DAY.

that can build up over time
and lead to injuries. I used to
consider happy hour a valid
cooldown routine. Now I’m a
fanatic about stretching and
self-massage and have a closet
full of straps, bands, foam
rollers, and lacrosse balls to
show for it. Committing to
this is tough if your schedule
is packed, which could tempt
you to extend your workout
and skip the stretching. That’s
a bad tradeof.
Go hard and easy
A percentage of your workouts
should be high intensity, and
the balance—say, 80 percent—
should be performed at very
low intensity. Again, I don’t
stick to any formal program of
polarization, but I try to avoid
what Stellingwerf says is the
most common mistake ath-
letes make: going too hard on
easy days and then not being
able to go as hard as you want
the next time out. Instead, I
make my hard workouts both
shorter and more intense than
I used to. Elite older athletes
stay competitive by being
more deliberate in their train-
ing, focusing their limited
time honing speciic skills,
and correcting their itness
weaknesses. For me, this often
means taking two minutes
before I start to write up a plan
on a sticky note. A little inten-
tionality goes a long way.
Eat for muscle
Much of the nutrition
“science” peddled to athletes
fruits and vegetables, try to consume 3 to 5 milli- knees during squats. Focus-
proteins, and whole grains, grams of creatine powder a ing on smaller, neglected
not too much sugar or day, usually in a smoothie or muscle groups is not a recipe
processed stuf—you’re a glass of milk, just before for getting huge, but it’s great
probably ine. But if you or after a workout. It’s had a for developing functional
want to avoid losing muscle noticeable efect on my ability strength and avoiding injury.
as you age, it’s worth making to build and maintain muscle.
a couple of tweaks. I’ve Learn new skills
increased the protein in my Sweat the small stuff Challenging your body in the
diet as well as the number For athletes with a history of same ways day after day for
of times I consume it during injury or physical limitations decades is an eicient way to
the day, following the advice (that’s all of us, eventually), chew up your body. Challeng-
of triathlete and nutrition the key to optimal itness is ing it in diferent ways is the
scientist Asker Jeukendrup, separating desirable training perfect cure. I marvel at elite
Ph.D. A side beneit: Adding stresses from undesirable athletes and, like most regular
protein to anything you ones. If you have access to an guys, I envy what they’re able
eat efectively lowers its AlterG anti-gravity treadmill to do. But they should envy
glycemic index, says Chris or Kaatsu bands, great. If you us too. There’s nothing like
Jordan, M.S., C.S.C.S., don’t, there are still plenty of trying something new and
director of exercise physiol- ways to embrace this concept. sucking at it, and then sucking
ogy for the Johnson & Instead of adding weight to a little less every day. Science
Johnson Human Perfor- an exercise, I’ll incorporate hasn’t yet made it possible for
mance Institute. So if I want a balance element, like doing us to get younger. This quest—
to have an oatmeal chocolate pushups with my hands on getting itter, faster, and
chip cookie without feeling medicine balls, or add a second better at what we each love—
a sugar crash, I’ll put a smear force vector, like having a is the closest thing we have to
of almond butter on it. I also resistance band around my a fountain of youth.
Run with
no pain
This one’s not for everyone.
Nowadays I see a lot of older
runners in “maximalist”
shoes made by Hoka One One
or Altra, with soles as thick as
A Game of Thrones paperback,
and not caring whether they’re
landing on their heels or toes.
But after wading through
the conlicting research and WARNING If you feel majority of runners actually
talking to biomechanists, I’m strongly about the need to overstride,” he says. By
Grooming: Andrea Pezzillo/MITCH/Exclusive Artists,

is bunk. If you’re eating a convinced: There are beneits

courtesy Houghton Miflin Harcourt (book cover)

change your footstrike, find focusing on shortening your

healthy diet—lots of diferent to forgoing a little cushioning a coach who can work with stride, you may ultimately
Lululemon shorts, Under Armour Sneakers;

you on it. Recent research change your footstrike

and learning to strike the
ground with your midfoot or
forefoot rather than your heel.
Adapted from
Your legs are springs—the
PLAY ON: stifer the spring, the more
The New
Science of Elite eiciently the forces you put
Performance into the ground return to your
at Any Age
body, propelling you forward.
suggests that the most
energy-efficient running
style for most people is the
one that comes naturally to
them. Your problem may
be more stride than strike,
though, and biomechanist
Jay Dicharry, M.P.T., readily
concedes this. “The vast
pattern. This leads to less
of a “pulling” and more of
a “pushing” running pattern,
resulting in less stress on
(and potential damage to)
your joints. Slower times in
exchange for less pounding
on my spine is a tradeoff I’m
happy to make.

36 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

© Procter & Gamble, Inc., 2018

Cleanse like this…

or like this?

Cleanse without the crazy.

A Cleanse doesn’t have to be extreme. Just add
the Metamucil 14-Day Cleanse to your healthy diet
and the fiber in Metamucil helps trap and remove
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*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
 A
GEAR

LET’S
TAKE The splurge

THE BIG GREEN EGG

XLARGE
With nearly four
PARTY more inches of
grate space than
OUTSIDE the Akorn, the
BGE XL gives you
enough room to
That rust-spotted roast two 20-
saucer grill and pound turkeys.
too-small cooler Unlike the Akorn,
are cramping all parts of the
your style. Make cooking vessel
are ceramic. Big
these equipment Green Egg fan-
upgrades now, boys drool over
and leverage the grill’s ability
them for a to heat to 700°F
summer of fun. and up, flash-
searing steaks in
By Kit Fox minutes. $1,199,
biggreenegg.com

Beer, on the rocks

A glass full of ice
makes a macrolager
(Bud, Miller) that much
The upgrade more refreshing. Plus,
CHAR-GRILLER the ritual of refilling
AKORN CERAMIC your glass with ice
gives you a moment
KAMADO 6020 to consider how much
Kamado-style grills you’re drinking. Skepti-
originated in China. cal? You won’t be after
A good kamado the first few sips.
grill has a heavy,
heat-retaining
ceramic insert that
makes it equally
good at searing
(burgers and dogs)
and slow-smoking
(brisket and ribs).
This beast weighs
224 pounds, but it’s
on wheels. Roll out!
$599, lowes.com THE TWO BEST DRINKS The lazy man’s cocktail
FOR GRILLING SMART Put half a shot of whiskey or rum in the
That double IPA is going to bottom of a tall glass filled with ice. Top
come back to burn you, buddy. everything off with soda water. Squeeze
a little lemon or lime in there if you want.
By Peter Meehan Sip judiciously. Repeat as needed, but
never with more booze than that.

38 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 TED CAVANAUGH

 A GEAR

The splurge
SOVARO 45 QT
This one would
look great on a
The upgrade yacht deck, but
VIBE ELEMENT 45 you aren’t just
It’s made from paying for style.
a single piece Mold-resistant
of plastic, like its cork insulation is
more monstrous a heat defense
and expensive layer between
rivals. That means the sun and your
this chest can next round, says
take a beating and Deszczulka. The
keep its contents lid is sealed with
colder longer, says an airtight gasket
Luke Deszczulka, and the retract-
cofounder of able handle makes
bestcooler.reviews. for easy moving
It also has a drain- on a swaying deck.
age spout, slip- From $695,
resistant rubber sovaro.com
feet, and the all-
important built-in
bottle opener.
$170, vibekayaks.
com

+
THE FASTEST WAY TO CHILL
Pour cold water into your beer-
and-ice-loaded cooler—enough to
make a small liquid layer above the ice,
says Rhett Allain, Ph.D., an associate
professor of physics at Southeastern
Louisiana University. The water creates
better thermal contact, reducing
chill time. Stir in a big handful
of kosher salt, which helps
drop the freezing point.

1 DAY BEFORE
Go shopping. Your list: Okay, now what do I feed these people?
1 zucchini Nine friends will raid your backyard in 24 hours. Michelin-starred chef
3 heirloom tomatoes Fabio Trabocchi has you covered with his favorite cookout cuisine:
2 onions gourmet cheesesteaks. Here’s your plan.
Food styling: Jamie Kimm; prop styling: Angela Campos/Bernstein & Andriulli

3 bell peppers
extra virgin olive oil; 1 HOUR TO GO 45 MINUTES OUT marks, 3 to 5 minutes THE ARRIVAL 22 MINUTES IN
1 bag of charcoal Ignite the briquettes in Pour the coals on one per side. Transfer pieces While your friends are Slice the meat against
briquettes a chimney starter. While side of the grill; this cre- that look done onto a busy making their own the grain in half-inch-
6 beef tenderloin you wait for red-hot ates a searing area and a baking sheet as you go. gin and tonics to their thick pieces to roughly
steaks (8 oz each) coals, slice the zucchini, warming area. While the Cover the sheet with foil preferred strength (gar- the length of the kaiser
aluminum foil tomatoes, and onions grate heats up (15 min- and set it in the oven. nishing with cucumber rolls. Set the strips in
a fifth of your into half-inch-thick utes or so) set your oven and berries), you grill the groups of four on the
favorite gin disks. Slice the peppers to warm. Take the ten- 15 MINUTES steaks over direct heat warming side of the
2 liters of tonic water into thick strips. Toss derloins out of the fridge Set the table with some to medium rare, about 4 grate with a slice of
1 cucumber them in a big bowl with and season both sides glasses, a bowl of ice, minutes per side. cheese on top to melt.
a handful of juniper a drizzle of olive oil with salt and pepper. a jigger, the bottle of Toast the rolls on the
berries (optional) and a few big pinches gin, the tonic water, and 10 MINUTES IN other side. Pull the veg-
10 medium-thick slices of salt and pepper. 30 MINUTES OUT the cucumber (sliced) Take the meat off the gies out of the oven,
of fontina or Oil the grill grate. Grill and juniper berries. flame; rest it beneath foil garnish with basil, and
provolone cheese the vegetables on the Open the grill’s damper. for 5 to 10 minutes. Fix serve with the sand-
10 large kaiser rolls hot side of the grate yourself a drink. Mingle. wiches. Collect praise.
basil for garnish until you see black char

40 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

 2018
Mazda CX-3
Subcompact
Crossover SUV
$20,110

THE SPORTY SIX-SPEED [+]

ore sports car than sport ute, what the CX-3 lacks in cargo • DESIGN Eye-catching;

M
of torque; cornering premium safety
space it makes up for with lively, spirited driving. It’s easily the three trim levels; stability enhanced by package including
finalist for World Car the torque-tweaking mid- to high-speed
hottest-looking crossover in its segment, with curb appeal Design of the Year “G-Vectoring Control.” automatic braking,
that exceeds its entry-level price. A 2.0 liter four-banger matched to adaptive cruise con-
• PERFORMANCE SkyActiv • SAFETY Low-speed
a six-speed automatic gearbox (with either front-wheel or all-wheel engine produces 146 emergency braking; trol, lane departure
drive) gets a respectable 31 and 29 combined city/highway mpg. horsepower and 146 lb-ft automatic headlamps; warning, and traffic
rain-sensing wipers; sign recognition

2019 THE ENVY SPARKER [+]

BMW X4
swoopy, coupe-shaped crossover from • DESIGN Distinctive,
xDrive30i/ M40i
Sport Activity
Vehicle
$50,450/$60,450
A the brand that started the trend. The X4’s
high-riding position and ease of entry
combine with the uncompromised driving
next-gen; panoramic
moonroof
• PERFORMANCE Sports-
oriented chassis and
dynamics of a sports sedan. BMW’s commit- suspension
ment to balanced 50:50 weight distribution
• CONVENIENCE 10.25-
makes you a better driver, whether you’re carving inch touchscreen,
back roads or making evasive maneuvers on class-leading gesture
the interstate. Announce “I’m hungry!” and voice controls, multicolor
recognition displays restaurants on the head-up head-up display
display. The X4 base 2.0 liter turbo four-cylinder • SAFETY Front-collision
generates 248 horses and 258 lb-ft of torque. warning; automatic
braking; pedestrian
Ten grand more gets you the 355-horse M40i detection; speed limit
package with its twin turbo six-cylinder, good info; standard Active
for zero to 60 in 4.6 seconds. Yeah, you’re gonna Protection senses dan-
want that one. Both models come standard with gerous situations and
acts before, during,
intelligent all wheel drive mated to an eight-speed and after the incident.
“Steptronic” transmission. Available July 2018.

THE UNLEASHED BEAST [+]

his is a Jeep? Yes, sir—and also a physics- •DESIGN Aggressive,

T defying high-performance hooligan in

the guise of a spacious, practical SUV.
The intimidating 475-hp 6.4-liter Hemi SRT V8
masculine, spacious
• CAPABILITY Quadra-
Lift air suspension,
Quadra-Drive II traction
2018 Jeep
Grand Cherokee SRT
Performance SUV,
$67,495
delivers raucous power, paired with grip to rival control with hill ascent
a sports car. Acceleration is blistering, hitting 60 and descent control,
mph in 4.3 seconds, insane for a 5,000-pound Selec-Terrain traction
beast. (The supercharged Trackhawk boasts management system
with five dynamic drive
707 horsepower, hits 60 from a standstill in 3.5 modes, Fuel Saver
seconds, and tops out at 180 mph.) Optioned Technology, 6,200-
out, the SRT can creep close to $80K, but that’s pound hauling capacity
a bargain next to comparably luxurious and • SAFETY Blind Spot mon-
powerful competitors. This Grand Cherokee itoring with Cross Path
and all of its less flamboyant siblings are great Detection, Adaptive
Cruise Control, backup
values. And pretty near invincible in most camera, remote start
weather and off-road conditions. —Joseph Heroun

focused. “Look where you automobiles—your

1 Tailgate at your peril
It’s simple math: At 60
mph you’re traveling 88
feet per second. If you’re
two car lengths behind
the vehicle ahead, that’s
about 30 feet. If you
respond to his brake lights
in half a second (pretty
good), you’ve traveled 44
feet already—and may
hit his rear end or possibly
the debris he’s dodging. want to go,” advises Derek wrists and arms will be
So keep at least three car Leonard, lead driving in the path of a deploying
lengths of separation. instructor at the BMW airbag, which explodes
Performance Center in with awesome force. The
2 Steer clear of danger Greer, South Carolina, National Highway Safety
Accidents can happen “and your hands will intui- Administration recom-
if drivers “lock in” on what tively steer you there mends the 9-and-3 posi-
they’re about to hit and and out of harm’s way.” tion to minimize your
freeze. Your body’s hand- risk of injury. That’s how
eye coordination natu- 3 Forget “10 and 2” professional race driv-
rally steers the car toward The classic hand position ers grip the wheel. They
where your eyes are has no place in modern should know. —J.H.

42 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

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 JIMMY
A
THE
BARTENDER

Straight-up advice on
women, work, and things
that drive men crazy

How low can

MY DAD GIVES ME
CRAP ABOUT MY
JOB-HOPPING. HOW
DO I EXPLAIN THAT
THIS IS HOW CAREERS
WORK NOW?
—A.J., Trenton, NJ
Your old man isn’t
a dinosaur. He just
knows two things:
Employee loyalty is
honorable, and his
son rejects it. Don’t
try to make your case
with statistics. Show
him how happy you’ve
been with your gigs.
But here’s the thing:
When you get a new job,
how long do you stay
You came to the right place, Joe. I was quite the
happy? Because if your prankster in my day. Pranking someone is a bit
career is a revolving
door and you’re always
dissatisied, then everyone has to laugh in the end. Remember
Pops may have a point.
ONE OF MY OLDEST
cracks me up every time is watching someone
FRIENDS AND I DON’T
SEE EYE TO EYE ON
POLITICS ANYMORE.
IT GETS TENSE. WHAT cheese on his ride’s tailpipe and duct-tape some
HAPPENED?
—CARL, Columbus, OH
Times change, Carl.
you go? No
limit as long
as nobody
gets hurt.
Jimmy, I’m at war. WHAT’S THE STATUTE
OF LIMITATIONS ON
CAN YOU TELL WHAT
A WOMAN IS LIKE BY
Got any practical jokes WHITE LIES IN A RELA-
TIONSHIP? ASKING
FOR A FRIEND.
WHAT SHE DRINKS?
—AMIR, Glendale, CA
No more than you can
I can play on my buddy —RICH, St. Louis, MO
Same as murder,
tell what she is like by
what she wears. What
that won’t land me in jail? Rich. The way I see
it, your “friend” has
you can tell: What she’s
like when she drinks.
two options: Spill it I say no more.
—JOE, Houston, TX
or stow it. If you’re
A WOMAN AT WORK IS
(I mean he’s) feeling
ALL ABOUT RAUNCHY
the uncontrollable
urge to come clean JOKES. DO I RISK
like roasting them: It’s a sign of afection, and about something you PLAYING ALONG?
—JOSE, Baltimore, MD
(I mean he) did a long
time ago, you might be I love an unladylike
that and you’ll keep it positive. One thing that forgiven. Then again, lady. But what do you
you might also forever gain if you engage?
be “the one who lied.” Will it make you bet-
deal with a foul smell they can’t do anything If that sounds too grim, ter at your job? Get
about. Just kills me. So rub some Limburger then keep your secret you a raise? Respect?
and live your life. I Ask yourself: How do
don’t endorse lying. the women react to
sardines to the underside of his desk. Stinks But I don’t endorse her? Exactly. Err on
fade, but beautiful memories last forever. stupidity either. the side of propriety.
via Getty Images (The Ofice), Justin Sullivan/Getty Images (Zuckerberg)

People evolve. It hap-

KYLE HILTON (Jimmy illustration), Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

JIMMY
pens. But does it have
to? You can still talk
about cars, sports,
family, that one hot
actress, or any of the CALLS No one loves
The Godfather more
stuf that used to fuel
your younger camara-
derie. Set the state of
the nation on the back
B.S.! than I do, but I’ve seen
too many acts of cruelty
burner. Sure, politics committed with that
is on all of our minds punchline. Like hell it’s
these days. I know
guys who’ve lat-out
“It’s only business.” only business. Own what
spurned friends. That you do, even if you don’t
happens too. And it’s like doing it. Glib is a
always a damn shame.
really bad look on a man.
44 MEN′S HEALTH
 ATHE
INSIDER
THE BURGLAR
Most burglaries happen in summer, according
to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. We asked a
thief why he’d hit your home. Security pro Frank
Santamorena offers deterrents. By Dan Roe
You’re oblivious, dude
Sorry, but most marks fail to take
basic preventive steps to protect
their home. You leave your blinds
up...or have no blinds at all! Your
garage door is always open. (Nice
bike!) You let us in to snoop when
we say we’re “checking on a gas
leak.” You post on Facebook that
you’re on vacation. And you still
haven’t changed the friggin’ locks
since you moved in seven years
ago, have you?
87
Percentage of burglaries that
are unsolved, per the FBI
46 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
SANTAMORENA SAYS Burglary
is a crime of opportunity, and bur-
glars are opportunists. Take away
access and they’ll look for an eas-
ier smash-and-grab elsewhere. So
spend five minutes on a security
check before you leave the house:
Draw the shades, move your valu-
ables (like that laptop) out of easy
view, and shut the damn garage
door. And invest in ANSI Grade 1
locks, which are strong as hell and
the bane of a burglar’s existence.
Cheapskate ways to safeguard your stuf
An alarm system works best, but these quick fixes can help, says security
consultant Frank Santamorena.
CHEAP Mount a mini key safe
Your extra key is probably hidden
in an obvious spot. Instead, buy a
key safe with an access code.
Install it right inside the door jamb.
The GE Security 1001 is only $30.
Your dog is too cute
But no threat—and neither is that
sign suggesting I should beware
of it. I mean, a trained Rottweiler
is one thing. But you don’t have
that. You have a doofy, treat-loving
golden retriever who’s just as happy
to see me as he is to see you.
SANTAMORENA SAYS The
core of your thinking is correct:
Thieves hate surprises. So install
motion-sensor lights at each
corner of your home
and keep them
activated 24-7.
Even though most
perps work in day-
time, seeing the
lights go on may
suggest to them
that you have
other security
measures in
place.
CHEAPER Buy a charley bar
Thieves love those sliding glass
doors because they can easily lift
them of the tracks. This device
screws into the door itself for better
security and can be found at home
centers for about $20.
Your “system” is subpar
Okay, if you have a sign or
sticker claiming you have home
protection—even if you don’t
actually have a system—we may
move on. It’s not worth the risk.
But if you happened upon signage
from a “company” that doesn’t
exist, we’ll nail you. We use
Google too, you know.
SANTAMORENA SAYS Trust
professionals, not trendy gadgets,
and spring for an actual local
security service. “Local” because
these outfits typically have better
relationships with the area’s
law enforcement, and more intel
about your neighborhood.
SMILE, THIEF!
Good hardware is never a bad idea,
but common sense is free.
You overvalue your TV
...and lose sight of your other good
swag. Look, that huge flatscreen
is a pain to haul off. Most intruders
Ricardo Reitmeyer/Getty Images (robber), NinaM/Shutterstock (security camera), GlobalP/Getty Images (dog)
are in and out in a few minutes. We
first hit the master bedroom draw-
ers for jewelry, wallets, purses,
and prescription drugs. Some of
the more identity-thieving among
us may take a laptop or iPad.
SANTAMORENA SAYS Most
people hide their loot in the same
place: bedroom or office. Buy a
safe that bolts to the wall (hard to
haul off) and mount it in a closet.
CHEAPEST Lock your doors
Forty percent of burglars come in
through an unlocked door or win-
dow when no one is home, accord-
ing to a Bureau of Justice Statistics
report. Sounds basic. So do it.
 A
THE GIRL In time, your
NEXT DOOR partner will
piss you of—
COMMON
even if she
looks like this.
GROUND

Ask Naomi Piercey anything,

and we mean anything,
YOU
want to play golf
about love and sex.

SHE
wants to play
mini-golf

I’ve been dating COMPROMISE

Driving range!
her for a year. We
NAOMI SAYS
never ight. I’ve My girlfriends enjoy
spots like Top Golf.

heard that’s a red They’re sporty, but

still fun for rookies.
You can ofer point-

flag. Really? ers on her, ahem, grip.

—CHUCK, Dallas, TX

After only a year? Nah. Put MH survey

Ladies, what’s most
any two people in a room long important when you
irst see a guy’s digs?
enough and they’ll ind a way Clean Art, books,
drawer and cabinet. DO WOMEN REALLY LEVEL WITH ME: DO
to piss each other of. That’s not Speaking of, do you PREFER BAD BOYS? WOMEN REALLY NOT
bathroom photos

a dating thing, that’s a human have enough toilet —ADAM, Grand Rapids, MI WANT ME TO PAY ON 52% 20%
thing. But maybe you haven’t paper? You don’t. Sure. Because to me, OUR FIRST DATE?
—CHRIS, Syracuse, NY
that term means a
had many opportunities for seri- MY WIFE AND I AREN’T man who’s probably Bottom line: You
ous disagreement. Stick with HUGE GIFT GIVERS, assertive, conident, won’t lose points
her long enough and you will. BUT SHE HAS A BIG and strong—all paying for your irst
BIRTHDAY COMING. undeniably hot qual- date, whether you
And that’s okay. Because those DO I GO ALL OUT? ities. Women assume did the inviting or
moments where you can be so —CASEY, Jacksonville, FL that a so-called bad not. Second and
Make it special! Don’t boy will stand up beyond? That’s up
mad and still so in love are what draw attention to her for them and defend to you, her, and your
strong relationships are made of.
Florencia Mazza Ramsay/thelicensingproject.com (woman), JOEL ARBAJE (Piercey)

age, but deinitely do them against douchey dynamic. That said, Other Decent
furniture
it up. Those milestone catcallers or over- there’s something 16%
birthdays have a way bearing in-laws. Plus, about being pursued
12%
Stocked
WHEN A WOMAN IS clues about you. So if of sneaking up on that steely exterior by a man who wants fridge
STAYING OVER FOR you know she’s com- women emotionally, might be concealing a to treat you because 0%
THE FIRST TIME, HOW ing over, take the time even when they claim softer, more sensitive it delights him to
MUCH SNOOPING IS to tidy up. Declutter not to care. Acknowl- underbelly. And if take you out and be in
SHE DOING? so she can admire edging that is a big you’re the only woman your company. It’s an

3
—DALE, Omaha, NE your cool collectibles deal and can help bal- who can crack his unexpected luxury,
If by “snooping” you or impressive whiskey ance that vulnerable shell, that’s mighty a small gesture of
mean surveying prac- collection without feeling. Don’t know validating. Of course, chivalry. And if you
tically everything in being distracted by what to get? Ask her you should be aware ask “permission” irst,
your apartment, then the junk. Change your friends. (I wish more that there’s a big it’s still oh-so-very
all the snooping. She’s sheets. And scrub the men would do that.) diference between feminist of you. Just
Number of seconds
making observations bathroom. (See our You know her best of bad boys and ass- be cool about it. Don’t you should hold her
and mental notes, survey on this page.) all, of course. Give her holes. An asshole is overthink it. Say gaze. Any longer may
and she can’t help it— When a woman is something that says, mean, arrogant, self- something like “If it’s make her feel awk-
curiosity is a powerful alone in there, there’s “I love celebrating you.” ish, and unkind—a all right with you, I’d ward. Less can make
it seem as if you’re
force. And your home nothing stopping her Then pair it with an straight-up jerk. And like to pay for dinner.” hiding something.
provides context from opening every orgasm or two. nobody desires that. Problem solved. Royal Society

48 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

 

 





  






  



 


 
   

  
 NAOMI SAYS
”Some theaters let you
reserve your seats in
advance. Remember
guys, planning ahead is
a major turn-on.”

The second date is tricky. TROUBLESHOOT THE MOVIE DATE

Make these moves to stop a potential Anyone who’s seen Blue Valentine on a
date knows the wrong ilm can kill the
blockbuster from bombing. mood. This month, match your relation-
ship status with the mood of the movie.
June is sequel season: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,
Sicario: Day of the Soldado, and Incredibles 2 all debut. LESS THAN Ed Helms, Jeremy
1 MONTH Renner, Jon Hamm,
Ace your own repeat performance. By Andrew Daniels Hannibal Buress,
Tag and others play a
long-running game of
THE RISK: YOU THE RISK: YOU FLIP THE RISK: THE THE RISK: YOU END adult tag. It’s mind-
REHASH THE PLOT THE SCRIPT TOO FAR DIALOGUE STINKS WITH A CLIFFHANGER less, nonthreatening
Good sequels (Die The irst date went Think of second You don’t want any fun. Laugh together
Hard 2, The Godfa- really well. She likes dates as character question of a part June 15.
ther: Part II) keep the you! So don’t give her development. Thomas three to linger. If
MONTHS Now with Sandra
same cast but change Jason Patric when suggests asking you fail to make your
2 TO 12 Bullock, Mindy
up the location. Follow she’s expecting Keanu open-ended ques- intentions clear by the
Kaling, and Rihanna!
suit: If your irst date Reeves. Instead, pull tions, using “most, end of date two, you
was cofee or a beer, a Kill Bill and split the best, worst” super- risk ending up friend- Ocean’s 8 You’ll be far enough
along that you can
do the unexpected experience. Go on an latives. (“Who’s the zoned, Thomas says.
compare Oceans with-
next time—hit a retro active date but then most interesting “You can’t go home
out sounding anti-
arcade, climbing add a mellow “part person you’ve ever without conveying
feminist. Hopefully.
wall, or go-kart track. two” to echo that low- met?” “What was some kind of com-
It hits theaters June 8.
Think hands-on and key irst outing. Visit your best high school mitment.” It’s easy:
competitive: “The a museum, say, and moment?”) That Plan the third date
1 YEAR Shailene Woodley and
trick is to add a stim- then a wine bar. Or gives her a chance to together as the second
OR MORE Sam Clain sail into
ulus that can help you take a hike and then open up beyond the wraps up. “The hike
the largest hurricane
build a bond and add head to a diner for a irst-date rapid-ire was great. Next time,
sexual tension,” says casual meal. Slowing quizzing. Then recip- biking!” She’ll have
Adrift ever to hit the Paciic.
Any couple who has
dating counselor down creates oppor- rocate...and watch some input and it’ll
hit rough water will
Tracy Thomas, Ph.D. tunities for intimacy, the plot thicken. be clear you want to
understand the meta-
Thomas says. see her again.
phor. It’s out June 1.

NAOMI SAYS
“No plans to call
her? Don’t promise
to! But do say you
had a kickass time
(even if it’s a lie).”

The classy
one-and-done
June is popular for one-night stands,
OkCupid reports. In the morning,
be a gentleman: Offer her coffee and
Arthur Belebeau/Trunk Archive (couple), JOEL ARBAJE (Piercey), Getty Images (5)

breakfast, says relationship expert

Christie Hartman, Ph.D. She may say
no. But she’ll feel more comfortable.

Men’s Health Twitter poll of men:

What’s the best strategy after a
1-night stand?
Politely
part ways
ASAP
36% Offer
her
coffee
Take or OJ
her to 25%
breakfast
Make her
breakfast 21%
18%

MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 49

 A R E L AT I O N S H I P S
Love advice from hip-hop
If Kanye West and Kim Kardashian make it to May 24,
they’ll be married four years. He could learn a few things
from his colleagues. You could too. By Tyler Daswick
O n F L I RTAT ION
THE PHARCYDE, “PASSIN’ ME BY”
“Why does the apple of my eye / Over-
look and disregard my feelings no
matter how much I try? / Wait, no, I
did not really pursue my little prin-
cess with persistence / And I was so
low-key that she was unaware of my
existence.”
O n R E SPE CT
COMMON, “THE LIGHT”
“It’s important we communicate /
And tune the fate of this union to
the right pitch / I never call you my
bitch or even my boo / There’s so
much in a name and so much more
in you.”
J. COLE, “FOLDIN CLOTHES”
“If I can make life easier, the way
you do mine / Save you some time,
alleviate a bit of stress from your
mind / Help you relax, let you recline
babe / Then I should do it, cause
heaven only knows / How much you
have done that for me / Now I see
it’s the simple things / It’s the simple
things, it’s the simple things.”
O n BR E A K I NG U P
LAURYN HILL, “I USED TO LOVE HIM”
“Reached the crossroad, which path
would I choose / Stuck and frus-
trated I waited, debated / For some-
thing to happen that just wasn’t
fated / Thought what I wanted was
something I needed.”
SLICK RICK, “TEENAGE LOVE”
“But later on, problems start to
occur / And the bond, which com-
bines, y’all turn into a blur / For the
feelings were the same, now here’s
the score / You love him too much,
and they don’t love you anymore.”
50 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
NAOMI SAYS
”Tell Alexa to
shuffle-play the
Silk Sheets playlist
on Spotify. It does
not disappoint.”
EXPERT’S TAKE “Scientists have
identiied three steps needed
prior to mating. The irst of these
is that the animal or human must
announce its presence to potential
mates. It appears that [Pharcyde
member Fatlip] failed to do even
this most basic task,” says Matthew
Johnson, chair of psychology at
Binghamton University.
EXPERT’S TAKE “So much of what
couples argue about comes down to
respect, even mundane matters. In
the end, respect is one way we show
love. So as Common says, never
call your woman a sexist slur—and
maybe put your bowl in the dish-
washer if she asks,” says Johnson.
EXPERT’S TAKE “Here is my
unsolicited suggestion to Mr. Cole:
Don’t let your partner know that
you did the ‘simple things.’ In one
study, relationship researchers
found that the beneits of alleviat-
ing a bit of stress from your part-
ner’s life are the greatest when the
receiver reported not noticing the
support,” says Johnson.
EXPERT’S TAKE “We like to think
that in time things will get better.
Unfortunately, a lot of times things
don’t just change on their own,
and it’s up to us to make the sort of
changes that we want,” says Justin
Lavner, assistant professor of psy-
chology at the University of Georgia.
EXPERT’S TAKE “As you get to know
people better, conlicts inevitably
come up. With some couples it ends
up starting to blur some of the good
things that were there. Open com-
munication is critical. Are you con-
tinuing to put money into the bank
of your relationship?” Lavner asks.
 A
GUY
WISDOM

THE HATER’S
GUIDE TO
WEDDINGS
Mediocre food. Small talk with the bride’s SECURE A SONG REQUEST If you must approach with a request,
stepcousin. Obligatory expenses. Use these says Los Angeles DJ David Krieger, do it at the start of a song
tips to survive peak wedding season, and when the DJ’s headphones are off. Never put your drink on
the table. Turntables hate champagne.
maybe even have some fun. By Kit Fox
Step 1 Open with Step 2 Name your tune Step 3 Explain
a compliment Ask for a specific song. the significance
DECLINE Something simple like, Requesting something Describe quickly (in
WITH APLOMB “Great set!” is fine. Flat- vague like “better music” under 30 seconds) why
Don’t want to go? tery will get you every- is the kiss of death: You’ll the bride or groom will
Respond as soon as the where. “The worst thing earn little more than a respond to the song.
invitation arrives in you can do is say you smile and a nod. And (“This was our guy trip
the mail, says Kristen hate the music,” Krieger know the artist. Other- song last summer.”)
Maxwell Cooper, says. Also, no DJ worth wise you may get a differ- It helps if the DJ knows
editor-in-chief of The a damn is going to play ent version. the backstory to an
Knot. The average “Free Bird.” Stop that. off-the-wall request.
couple spends $268 on

Q:
you. Beyond the obvi-
ous exceptions (you’re
immediate family or “If a wedding is really terrible, can I leave early?”
in the wedding party),
it’s tacky to decline
A: Sure, but do the following: 1) Congratulate the bride,
 if you see them more
than three times a
groom, and both sets of parents, and thank the hosts
profusely. Key players need to know that you showed.
month. Unless you 2) Wait until after the cake is cut. 3) Don’t make it a big exit,
love grudges. and follow up in a day or two with a thank-you text to
the newlyweds.

NAVIGATE A Get things rolling GIFT SMARTER

Peter Beavis/Getty Images (couples), Sunpix/Alamy (invitation), Burwell photography/Getty Images (money)

“It’s a wedding party. THE SIZE OF YOUR CHECK

WEDDING TABLE Mischief is expected,” OR REGISTRY GIFT DEPENDS
So your table looks like Newnam says. Break the ON YOUR RELATIONSHIP
the cast of a Wes Anderson ice with a drinking game. TO THE COUPLE.
movie. Outlast dinner with Create a list of words
help from etiquette experts likely to be spoken during
Brendan Francis Newnam the toast, such as “friend,”
and Rico Gagliano, authors $200 or more
“college,” or “jail.” Make
of Brunch Is Hell. They could be your
up the drinking penalties
emergency contacts.
during dinner. “Don’t
Talk tight vomit on the bride or
“The big round table is groom,” Gagliano says.
the worst kind for hold- $125
ing communal conversa- Schmooze servers You’ll see them
tions,” Gagliano says. Offer your gratitude and next month.
You’re a guest, not the tip your server early; a
host, so stop shouting $20 bill works wonders.
across the table in an You’ll form an alliance $75
attempt to talk to every- that can help win faster You’re an acquaintance.
one. That’s the happy service and extra drinks.
couple’s job. Start with Plus, if you aren’t local,
the people on either the staff is your best
$50 or less
side of you. Then fan out resource for finding out You’re not going,
if it feels natural. where to party after the but send a little some-
reception ends. thing sentimental.

MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 53

 ATHE
M E N ’ S H E A LT H
WOMAN

Lili
Reinhart
» Maybe you’ve overlooked
Riverdale because it’s on
the CW, but that’s a mistake.
Reinhart stars as Betty opposite
Camila Mendes as Veronica, and
the two gals’ amiable rivalry for the
attention of one Archibald Andrews
is at the core of the show. Yes, it’s
Archie, but darker and with more
edge. A lot more edge. Reinhart,
we found, is as thoughtful as she
is gorgeous, especially on the
topic of men and dating. We asked
her to fill in a few blanks. Shore up
the gaps in your own approach.
Betty and Jughead are...
“Couples goals. I’ve learned a lot through
them. They prioritize their relationship
even when their personal lives are insane.
Jughead always listens to his girl. Betty
always goes to bat for Jug. They are a team.”

Men should always remember...

“It takes little effort to make a woman’s
day. It can be as simple as complimenting
her outfit, kissing her sweetly before she
goes to work, picking up dinner, or giving
her a foot rub at the end of the night.”

The best way to support your mate is...

“PRIORITIZE
“Be optimistic about her career goals. FOREPLAY.
Remind your partner how beautiful she IT’S
is every day if she’s insecure about her
looks or weight. When she’s stressed,
IMPORTANT.”
ask what you can do to help. Be available.
Think of her first as often as possible,
and prioritize her always.”
makeup: Allan Avendano, Edge o' Beyond bra, L’Agence jacket, Kenneth Cole skirt
Style director: James Worthington Demolet, hair: Kristin Ess/Kristin Ess Hair,

One romantic gesture that always

works is... “Flowers. For me it’s always
flowers. The last man to sweep me off
my feet shipped six dozen roses to a hotel
room for me on a weekend getaway.”

More men should learn how to...

“Give without worrying about receiving.”

Men could have more sex if they would

only... “Prioritize foreplay. It’s important.
So is romance. If I came home and a
guy had made me chocolate-covered
strawberries, that would be better than
anything else.”

54 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 E R I C R AY DAV I D SO N

 NATURALLY
SWEETENED

NATURAL
FLAVORS

NO COLORS FROM
ARTIFICIAL SOURCES

COCONUT
WATER

© 2018 BA SPORTS NUTRITION, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. *PER SERVING.

 A
STYLE

VILEBREQUIN $250

NAUTICA $70
FAHERTY $128

TOMMY HILFIGER $70 OWN THE BEACH

THORSUN $275

BODY TYPE

Athletic W
MICHAEL KORS $98
Lucky you: Now’s when
you reap the rewards of
your gym time. Show off
your body and make a
statement by venturing
beyond the basics— VUORI $69
embrace wild colors or
funky patterns. “If your
body is beach-ready,
don’t cover it up with BODY
swimwear,” says Arnold. TYPE Slim V
“Shorter lengths are a big
Add heft to your frame with a bold
trend this season.”
pattern, thick horizontal stripes, or a
busy print. If you’re 5'8" or under,
you can make your legs look longer
ORELBAR BROWN $275 with a mid-thigh or higher inseam.
String bean? Arnold suggests some-
LACOSTE $75 thing tailored that hits above the knee.
“Anything too short will make you look
like you forgot to put pants on,” he says.

SLIDE INTO SUMMER

Slip your feet into these sandals
perfect for the beach and beyond.
5
12

BONOBOS $88
E$
45

OL
S$
IG AS

HC
AL

0
OR DID

$3
ET
IN

NN

DO
A

BODY
Husky
KE

AL

Styling: Judith Trezza/R.J. Bennett Represents

TYPE V
A bigger guy needs a simple
suit. Solid, dark, or intense hues
streamline your silhouette; light
colors do the opposite. Same with
big prints, so keep patterns subtle
or vertical. Avoid slim fits, advises
Arnold, and keep the legs loose,
matching the width of your hips.

PATAGONIA $69

56 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 JEFFREY WESTBROOK

 INTRODUCING A NEW RANGE

C R A F T E D W I T H L E S S S U G A R*
( N OT L E S S TA S T E )

*vs regular ice cream

 A
STYLE

BLAZERS
OF GLORY
Bradley Wright-Phillips
of the New York Red Bulls
shows how to make an unlined
blazer your summer staple.
By Sandra Nygaard

When it’s warm outside,

Q you rarely think about

slipping on a jacket to
feel cool. That is, unless you own
an unlined blazer. If you don’t
own one, you should—you’ll
discover just how wearable it is
in summer. These jackets are
unstructured, which means they
lack an interior lining. They’re
versatile and sophisticated, with
the easy comfort of a hoodie and
the elegance of a tailored jacket,
and they’re equally appropriate
for work and weekends.
While other men are feeling
clammy and stiff, you’ll look sharp,
relaxed, and cool—in every sense.
“It’s the layer that instantly makes
you look more put-together than
every other guy in the room,”
says Megan Collins of the men’s
fashion and lifestyle site Style
Girlfriend. Lightweight fabrics like
ultrafine wool, linen, and cotton
mean your blazer will ride lightly
on your shoulders, no sweat.
SLOWEAR MONTEDERO blazer, $945
BILLY REID shirt, $185
GAP jeans, $70
KENNETH COLE sneakers, $125

58 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 WAY N E L AW R E N C E

 STYLE
A
LOOK

1 WEEKEND

An unlined blazer is the ideal

layering piece for travel. It’s soft
and light, and it’s supposed to be
a little rumpled. “A sport coat with
the guts removed means you’re
essentially left with a lightweight
long-sleeve shirt,” says Collins.
The airy feeling without the weight
of the interior structure is even
more refreshing when you choose
a lightweight, breathable natural
fabric blend. Think cotton, linen,
tropical-weight wool, and silk.
Combine it with medium-wash
denim or tailored track pants and
a collared shirt to send the mes-
sage that you’re laid back but
still a winner. Understated leather
sneakers complete the look.

Styling: Matthew Marden, grooming: Jodie Boland/See Management, tailoring: Joseph Ting
PRESIDENT’S
blazer, $470,
and shirt, $312
ASOS pants, $48
PUMA
sneakers, $70

LBM 1911
blazer, $695
WRANGLER
shirt, $59
PAL ZILERI
pants, $595

Q BRADLEY WRIGHT-PHILLIPS, 33 “MY STYLE IS RELAXED—JEANS, SNEAKERS,

Q NEW YORK RED BULLS FORWARD T-SHIRTS,” SAYS WRIGHT-PHILLIPS.
Q TWO-TIME LEADING SCORER
“I top it of with a hat. I have about 70 of them—
IN MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER mostly baseball caps, dad hats, and beanies.
I’ve started my own casual label, Two Nines.
That’s my jersey number, and the summer of
1999 holds great memories.”
60 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
 LOOK Some wardrobe items are worth
spending more on because
2 you’ll love wearing them. This is
a perfect example, says Collins.
Italian brands, such as LBM and
Boglioli, are the gold standard, but
jackets from Polo Ralph Lauren or
Bonobos are equally great options.
WORK The lack of shoulder padding
and interior lining will give you a
sense of ease, so incorporate that
attitude into the rest of your look.
“An unlined blazer is meant to
make a formal vibe feel less fussy,
so avoid pairing yours with dress
pants that outrank what you’re
wearing up top,” says Collins. If
you have just one, make it a classic,
in a solid, neutral color. But when
you open your closet to more,
branch out to brighter colors or
even subtle patterns, like plaids.
MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
YOUR WORLD
CUP CHEAT SHEET
THE ACTION STARTS JUNE 14. NO,
THE U.S. WON’T BE THERE. BUT DON’T
SIT IT OUT—IT’S THE MOST WATCHED
SPORTING EVENT ON THE PLANET!
WRIGHT-PHILLIPS AND FOX SPORTS
ANALYST GRANT WAHL, AUTHOR OF
MASTERS OF MODERN SOCCER, HELP
YOU PICK YOUR TEAM. —Kit Fox
You’re a betting man
BRAZIL After a shocking a 7-1
loss on home turf to Germany in
2014, the Brazilians will be out
for blood. “They play the beautiful
game, and they’re led by one of
the best players on the globe,
Neymar,” says Wright-Phillips.
You’ve “always” been a Pats fan
GERMANY Returning champs led
by an obsessive, tactical genius,
says Wahl. Sound familiar? You’ll
see brilliant soccer and a possible
repeat performance. But you’ll pay
for it with bandwagon accusations.
You prefer underdogs
MEXICO “They always make the
knockout stage but never threaten
to win,” Wahl says. So you’ll root
for a miracle but probably just end
up having your dreams dashed.
You’re in it for the kicks
ICELAND It’s this nation’s first
appearance in World Cup history.
The team likely won’t make it out
of the group stage, but really, who
cares? You’ll be at the best party
of the tournament—and doing the
famous Viking clap.
You like drama
ARGENTINA “Lionel Messi may
just get sick of his teammates not
being good enough and become
a one-man gang,” Wahl says. “And
that will be highly entertaining.”
You want to see goals
FRANCE AND BELGIUM
Both teams have some serious
attacking talent, Wright-Phillips
says. “With Paul Pogba, Ousmane
Dembele, Antoine Griezmann,
and Kylian Mbappe, France should
have no problems scoring. Bel-
gium is deep and strong as well,
with Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De
Bruyne, and Eden Hazard.”
You love to feel miserable
ENGLAND “They are a team with
a ton of top young talent, like Harry
Kane, Raheem Sterling, and Dele
Alli,” says Wright-Phillips. But they
seem to always find a way to lose.
So have a pint and a meat pie, and
curse through the matches along
with the grumpy fans.
61
 A
STYLE THE
MEN’S
HEALTH
HOT
LIST!
THE BEST NEW
GROOMING
PRODUCTS,
TESTED and
APPROVED
for YOU.
BONUS:
KATHARINE
McPHEE, STAR
of BROADWAY’S
WAITRESS,
TELLS US
WHAT DRIVES
HER WILD.
By SANDRA NYGAARD
ADDITIONAL REPORTING
by JOSHUA ST. CLAIR
and JOSEPH AMODIO
O M I N
RO G
G

2018
A W S
A R D

62 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 CATHERINE SERVEL

 48 H O U R
PROTECTION
T H AT G O ES O N C L E A R

GILLETTE CLEAR GEL.

®

GOES ON CLEAR,
LEAVES YOU FRESH ALL DAY.  GILLETTE.COM ©2018 P&G
 O M I N
RO G

A
G
STYLE

2018
A W
A R D
S
HAIR
GO GENTLE ON YOUR STRANDS
Some men use anti-dandruf
shampoo even when they don’t
have dandruf. They use it just in
case they ever get it, says Martial
Vivot, celebrity hairstylist and
owner of Martial Vivot Salon
Pour Hommes in Manhattan. This
habit drives him nuts: “I say, ‘Do
you take an aspirin when you don’t
have a headache?’” These sham-

CATHERINE SERVEL, styling: Stephanie Tricola/Honey Artists, hair: DJ Quintero/Statement Artists, makeup: Brigitte Reiss-Andersen/Starworks
poos tend to be on the strong side;
if you use one as a preventive,

Artists, location: Blind Barber (McPhee throughout); Selected Homme vest, Sandro pants, Angela Scott shoes, Michelle Varian rings
you could end up with a dry scalp.

DRESS FOR YOUR BARBER

A haircut should suit your head
shape and lifestyle. So give your
barber a clue, especially if it’s a
irst-time visit. If you show up on
a weekend in jeans and a T-shirt,
how’s he or she to know that you
spend your workdays in Armani?
Make your appointment for a day
when you’re styled the way you
HER EYES usually dress. And be prepared to
ARE UP THERE answer questions. “This is not a day
“The first thing to be quiet or to hide yourself,” says
I notice about a man Vivot. “Open up and tell me who you
is his hair. There’s are. That will make the haircut.”
nothing worse
than when guys THINK SHORT, MATTE, LIGHT
let their hair get Men who have thinning hair need
too grown out. to follow three fundamental rules:
They look unkempt. short haircut, matte products,
A man who takes and light shades. These give the
care of his monthly illusion of thicker, fuller hair,
trims is on top unlike longer hair, shiny styles,
of things. It’s all and darker tones. “I bleached my
about that attention thinning hair for a year,” Vivot
to the details.” says. “It looked edgy, and I could
make believe I had more of it.”

STRENGTHEN
5

3
1 FATBOY HAIR neither will you if you 4 SATURDAYS NYC
SEA SALT POMADE use this shampoo that WET WAX It doesn’t 2
If you like the way your adds muscle to your hair. take much of this water-
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the beach, this cream nourish strands with unruly hair and add shine.
pomade will create a sim- proteins. $19, ulta.com Plus, it leaves no greasy
ilar texture—without the feeling behind and
sand. Coconut oil and 3 AMERICAN washes out easily. $24,
shea butter strengthen CREW FIRM HOLD saturdaysnyc.com
1
and moisturize so your ST YLING CREAM
mane feels as buoyant Remember mousse from 5 PORT PRODUCTS
as an ocean wave. $21, the 1980s? Okay, some BOTANICAL
fatboyhair.com guys do. This modern PROTEIN COMPLEX
version offers the same CONDITIONER
2 HOUSE 99 BY control if you have a The arnica, rosemary, 4
DAVID BECKHAM hairstyle that requires and oat protein formula
GOING BIG serious sculpting. The encourage healthy
THICKENING DAILY creamy formula is also growth. The sweet
SHAMPOO David infused with panthenol almond oil adds shimmer
Beckham doesn’t have and castor oil to lock in and prevents breakage.
many bad hair days, and moisture. $18, ulta.com $24, portproducts.com

64 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 JEFFREY WESTBROOK

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 1 PHILIPS
SONICARE
KEEP ’EM DIAMONDCLEAN
SMART Sensors in
BRIGHT
TEETH
this high-tech brush
automatically select the
optimal brushing mode
3 and intensity level for
SINK THE STANK each brush head. It’s so
Your best weapon against bad smart it alerts you when
1 4
breath is brushing and cleaning you’re brushing too
between teeth. But what if you’re hard or not hard enough.
far from home? “Aggressively $229, usa.philips.com
swishing your mouth with water
2 COLGATE OPTIC
and spitting it out is the next best
WHITE PLATINUM
choice,” says Matthew Messina,
STAIN-LESS WHITE
D.D.S., of Ohio State University,
TOOTHPASTE
a consumer advisor for the Amer-
Stains from coffee,
ican Dental Association. That
wine, and soda don’t
washes away at least some food
stand a chance against
particles and bacteria. Mints or
the power of hydrogen
chewing gum (sugarless, naturally)
peroxide. This stuff
also work. As a last resort, try protects your enamel
eating crudités. “Chewing crunchy, and combats cavities.
odorless foods (such as carrots, $4, target.com
celery, and apples) may increase
saliva production and move the 3 LISTERINE
plaque around,” says Dr. Messina. SENSITIVIT Y Tooth
and gum sensitivity can
FLOSS LIKE A BOSS be a distraction. This
Yes, lossing daily is optimal. But rinse creates a pain-free
if you loss just two or three days barrier to your touchy
a week, every week, you’ll soon areas. $5, listerine.com
develop the dexterity for it and ind 2
it easier to do. “It’s muscle memory, 4 SUPERSMILE
a patterned behavior, and in order EXTR A WHITE
to change patterns you just have SYSTEM Professional
to commit to it,” says Dr. Messina. whitening can be pricey.
Do it for even a couple of weeks, he This easy, two-formula
says, and just like inally getting system removes stains
back into the gym groove, the and restores enamel
pattern will stick. with calcium, magne-
sium, and fluoride. $150,
supersmile.com

O M I N
RO
G
G
INNOVATIONS
4
2018 1 HARRY’S POST-
SHAVE MIST What’s
3 THE ROOSEVELTS
BEARD CO. DENALI
your beard ends and
your neck begins. This
more refreshing than SOLID COLOGNE clear cooling gel keeps
A W S a fine, cooling mist? Take your signature your mug smooth and
1
A R D Our testers loved this scent with you wher- moisturized but won’t
alcohol-free postshave ever you go with this clog your blade. $18,
formula because of its convenient, solid baxterofcalifornia.com
calming, soothing feel- cologne that’s the size
3 ing on freshly shaved of a lip balm. Unlike 5 HOUSE 99 BY
skin. $12, harrys.com alcohol-based scents DAVID BECKHAM
Prop styling: Wendy Schelah/Halley Resources (products)

that evaporate over SHARP CUT

2 BEEKMAN 1802 time, the beeswax and SHAVING STICK
5 PURE GOAT MILK jojoba formula helps After you experience
SHAMPOO BAR the sandalwood and the precision and
Save some space in the bourbon notes in this efficiency of this solid
2 shower or your carry-on fragrance stay put. $15, shave stick, you’ll never
bag for this solid sham- therooseveltsbeard.co want to bother with
poo bar that foams messy shave foams. It’s
with water. It’s free of 4 BAXTER OF a pretty simple idea:
fragrance, sulfate, and CALIFORNIA BEARD This soft, balmy stick
parabens, so it’s as easy LINE-UP SHAVE GEL raises your whiskers
on your hair as it is on Sometimes, using a and allows you to see a
your scalp. $12, shop. shave foam makes it clear path of where to
beekman1802.com tough to see where shave. $16, ulta.com

MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 65

 A STYLE

SOME LIKE
IT SCRUFF
“I love stubble.
But it depends
on the person.
A guy with a
softer jawline
looks great
with a little
stubble. It just
adds something
to his face.
I don’t mind
kissing someone
with scruff. It
feels manly.”

STOP ASSAULTING
YOUR SKIN
The urge to overscrub
your face can be entic-
ing if you work out, but
it could also be espe-
cially problematic if
G defensins, the nat-
you have acne issues.
Overwashing makes
your skin produce
more oil, explains
Bobby Buka, M.D.,
2018
J.D., an assistant clini-
cal professor of derma-
tology at Mount Sinai.
Dr. Buka reaches for a
SMOOTH
YOUR
SKIN
1 CLARINS DOUBLE
SERUM Just a small
squirt releases 21 pow-
erful plant extracts, all
aimed at regenerating,
nourishing, and protect-
ing your hide from aging.
$89, clarinsusa.com
2 CETAPHIL
EXTR A GENTLE
DAILY SCRUB A rough
wash sends your skin
into panic mode and
activates oil. The micro-
fine granules in this mild
scrub exfoliate without
drying or aggravating
your skin. $10, ulta.com
3 DR. DENNIS
GROSS ALPHA
BETA EXFOLIATING
MOISTURIZER
Congested pores keep
moisturizer from doing
its job. The mild acids
in this oil-free formula
clear the way for natural
squalane and ceramide
to stop water loss and
hold moisture to skin.
$68, drdennisgross.com
4 OARS + ALPS
WAKE UP EYE STICK
Tired peepers will appre-
Zara tank, Kiki de Montparnasse bra
ciate the one-two punch
from Persian silk tree
bark and caribou moss
sourced from the Arctic
Circle that fill fine lines
and boost elasticity. $21,
oarsandalps.com
FACE
supergentle cleanser asleep, when your hero,” says Daniel the slices against
for that second, post- skin catches up on Meredith, director your eyes in the
workout shower of repairs. They make of training and morning to reduce
the day. When you up for the daytime education at Kiehl’s. puiness. Here’s an
overwash with harsh onslaught of pollution, “The aroma will help addendum: Follow
soaps multiple times wind, and UV rays you fall asleep, and it that with a few dabs
O M I N
RO G a day, you also remove while also countering has skin-fortifying of eye depufer cream.
night time dehy- properties to help “I keep that in the
ural oils protecting dration. But with so you appear rested the fridge too,” says Mer-
skin from the bacte-
ria that cause pimples.
many products on
the market, deciding
on the right one can
following day.”
GO COOLER THAN
edith. Use your eye
cream immediately
after removing the
LOOK FOR LAVENDER be diicult. A good A CUCUMBER cucumbers—that’s
A W S Overnight hydrating ingredient to look You may already when you’ll see the
A R D masks, creams, and for is lavender. “It’s know to cut up a cool best results.
oils work while you’re a skin care super- cucumber and press
5 PETER THOMAS
ROTH HUNGARIAN
THERMAL WATER
MOISTURIZER This
formula comes from a
spring deep below
1 Hungary’s Carpathian
Valley. We just know
our skin felt firm and
hydrated with each use.
$58, sephora.com
6 LAB SERIES
SKINCARE FOR MEN:
4
PRO LS ALL-IN- ONE
FACE CLEANSING
3 GEL It’s a multipurpose
2 cleanser that cools
and conditions. Bonus:
You’re prepped for a
tight shave with this
lighter-than-air gel. $18,
labseries.com
7 KIEHL’S
POWERFUL-
STRENGTH LINE-
REDUCING
CONCENTR ATE
Packed with a high
8 concentration of
antioxidant vitamin C,
this nonoily lotion tackles
6 fine lines and wrinkles.
Hyaluronic acid plumps
up skin. $62, kiehls.com
9
7
8 NEUTROGENA
HYDRO BOOST
WATER GEL LOTION
SPF 50 This ultra-
light, clean-feeling gel
provides powerful
UVA/UVB protection
5 and skin-hydrating
hyaluronic acid. $12,
neutrogena.com
9 DERMALOGICA
NIGHTLY LIP
TREATMENT After
only a few nights of this—
made with shea butter
and vitamin E—you’ll
notice fewer wrinkles
and softer, fuller lips.
$49, dermalogica.com
MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 67
 A STYLE
G
RO
O M I N
G 5

2018 1

4
A W S 2
A R D

SHAVE
& TOOLS 3
SOME SHOULD
STAY SINGLE
For guys with straight
beard hair, shaving
with multiple blades
can make a difer-
ence. But for African
American men and
others with tightly
curled beard hair, a
multiblade razor may
create razor bumps.
“These double- and 10
triple-blade razors
irritate because they
cut the hair shaft 8
so close that the tip
winds up beneath the
skin,” says Kamal 7
Nuru, owner of the
Levels Barbershop
chain in Harlem, 6
Brooklyn, and Orange
9
County, New York. “As
it grows out, it curls
so tightly that it never
makes it outside the
skin again...and you
get the bump.” Opt for
an old-school single
blade, says Nuru, and
shave with the grain
of your beard. CLEAR
AWAY THE
TAKE IT STEP BY STEP
“Don’t cheat yourself BRUSH
by skipping steps
in your shaving
routine,” says Todd 1 PHILIPS NORELCO 3 GILLETTE 5 PANASONIC 7 MA APILIM ALL 9 FULTON & ROARK
Brisky, managing ONEBLADE FACE GILLETTE5 Five MEN’S CORDLESS PURPOSE OIL Pre- AFTERSHAVE
director at The Art + BODY Your barber blades, 15 microfins ELECTRIC BODY shave, postshave, CLOTHS Made with
of Shaving. Start by might have an arsenal, to stretch skin, and TRIMMER The preci- nightly moisturizer— sage, bergamot, and
showering; the steam but you need just one a no-slip handle allow sion blades mow down you name it. This multi- witch hazel, these cloths
and warm water make workhorse. This one is for a smooth shave in or hair while helping you talented oil softens, soothe skin and leave
the hair easier to cut designed for styling and out of the shower. No avoid irritating skin, washes, and condi- a pleasant scent behind.
and prevents tugging. grooming, trimming and drops, cuts, or wasted and the V-shaped head tions, and doesn’t take Use them to comfort
Then apply a preshave shaving—for any length. time. $8, gillette.com allows for easy access. up much space. $24, your chin after a shave
oil. This may seem $50, usa.philips.com In a rush? Multitask maapilim.com or to freshen up when
easily skippable, but 4 NIVEA MEN BODY and use it in the shower. you’re on the move. $28,
it softens stubble 2 THE ART OF SHAVING STICK Hold $99, amazon.com 8 TRUMAN’S fultonandroark.com
and lubricates for a SHAVING KINGS - the stick in one hand to GENTLEMEN’S
smooth razor glide. MAN: THE GOLDEN gently lather skin. Shave 6 JACK BLACK GROOMERS 10 WAHL LIFE-
“The extra 10 to 30 CIRCLE BOURBON using your other hand. BEARD WASH Avoid AFTERSHAVE BALM PROOF SHAVER Its
seconds needed to put SHAVE COLLEC - It’s the kind of efficiency that stale, oily buildup Shea butter and tapioca lithium ion power lasts
on preshave oil is well TION SHAVING that makes manscap- on your bristles with in this formula eases for 90 minutes, and it
worth it,” says Brisky. CREAM (5 OZ .) With a ing less of a chore and a wash that softens irritation. Just one dab has a shockproof body
After all, the beneits “bourbon amber aroma” more of a mission. $6, hair and hydrates the of this rich balm leaves and rugged rubber
of a closer and less and hydrating coconut Walgreens or CVS dry skin below with you smelling like luxury. grips. The name and look
irritating shave will acid, it’s a cream as jojoba proteins, aloe, $22, trumans-nyc.com of this power tool don’t
last all day and night . slick as your suit. $32, and panthenol. $18, lie: It’s a machine built to
theartofshaving.com getjackblack.com last. $70, wahl.com

68 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

 A STYLE
G
RO
O M I N
G

2018
A W S
A R D
3 ANTHONY CLEAN
BR ANDS SHOWER
UP
BODY SHEETS Stow these
sheets in your desk
drawer or gym bag to
wipe away that mid-
7 OLD SPICE RED
JUST NAIL IT rear end. “Dead skin COLLECTION
afternoon not-so-fresh
“Men forget to mois- gets caught around 5 MA APILIM HAND CAPTAIN ANTI-
feeling. Invigorating
turize their hands, hair follicles in those CREAM “I’m obsessed PERSPIR ANT AND
peppermint, deep-
areas,” says Dr. Buka. with this hand cream,” DEODOR ANT Gets
especially their nail 1 URSA MAJOR NO cleaning glycolic acid,
With relatively few said one enthusiastic the job done: It goes on
cuticles,” says derma- B.S. DEODOR ANT and hydrating jojoba
blood vessels, the tester. Maybe it is the invisible, feels dry, and
tologist Dennis Gross, When you want to take seed oil leave your skin
skin tends to be drier buttery texture or the reduces sweat. You’ll
M.D. “The cuticles a more natural approach feeling clean and cool.
there. So get into the way it relieves and coats smell like sandalwood
aren’t really skin, to grooming, we sug- $15, anthony.com
habit of slathering on dry hands in a salve of and the high seas and be
so they have no oil gest this unscented
a body moisturizer aloe vera, jojoba oil, the captain of your pits.
glands to moisturize deodorant. Without 4 OLIVINA MEN
after your shower to and rosemary oil. $27, $5, target.com
themselves, and dry using aluminum, it soaks ALL-IN- ONE EXFO -
hydrate and to avoid maapilim.com
out quickly.” By keep- up extra moisture and LIATING SCRUB
ing them hydrated, the dreaded and unat- stops funky smells IN BOURBON CEDAR
6 LA ROCHE-POSAY
you enhance the pro- tractive “dry butt.” before they start. $18, Slough away rough skin
LIPIK AR LOTION
tection they provide ursamajorvt.com with ground walnut
DAILY REPAIR Testers
your actual inger- shells and white birch.
said this fragrance-free
nails, which end up 2 DOVE MEN + CARE $14, olivinamen.com
body moisturizer had
looking better too. Any DEEP CLEAN FOAM-
the feel of a fancy lotion,
moisturizer—applied ING BODY WASH
at a bargain. It draws
once a day—will do, Don’t waste your time
in moisture with shea
Dr. Gross says, even lathering up with a
butter and glycerin. $18,
2 wimpy liquid soap when
if you swipe it from laroche-posay.us
this thick, cleansing
your partner.
foam delivers instantly.
The strong suds rinse off
MAKE A BOOTY CALL clean, leaving behind 6
When moisturizing soft skin and a pleasant
your body, don’t omit scent. $6, target.com
the areas you can’t
see, like your back
and the backs of your
arms. Also just as
important and even
more forgotten is your

MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 71

 O M I N
RO G

A STYLE

2018
G

CHOSE
A W S
A R D YOUR
STATEMENT
FRAGRANCE
1 PR ADA L’HOMME
PR ADA L’EAU EDT
(3.4 OZ) Go ahead,
judge it by its chic cover.
Amber and iris combine
with red ginger and
neroli for a slick scent to
match the bottle. $98,
macys.com

2 CIRE TRUDON
DEUX Smell naturel:
Leafy and forest notes
combine to create a
fresh scent that’s appro-
priate for any time of
year. $190, trudon.com

3 DIOR SAUVAGE
Elegant as it is mascu-
line, this blend of warm
spices and vanilla is
made for date night.
$115, dior.com
LURE HER IN
“When you’re close
to a man’s skin, 4 TOM FORD OUD
that’s when you MINER ALE With oud
want to smell wood, you know you’re
his scent. Add in for intensity. This fra-
one for your neck grance fuses smoky tim-
and wrists and ber with salty maritime
maybe just one notes for a campfire-on-
more for below the the-beach effect. Fra-
belt. Just in case.” grance level: advanced.
$230, tomford.com

5 COACH FOR MEN

Confident yet grounded,
this everyday spray
combines notes of spicy
cardamom with an
earthy base and hints of
5 suede. $82, macys.com

1 3 6 HUGO BOSS BOSS

2 BOTTLED TONIC
6 7 Notes of grapefruit,
orange, and lemon com-
bine with ginger, cinna-
mon, and a woody base
for a light scent that’s
equally at ease at the
office or on the dance
floor. $86, macys.com

7 GIVENCHY
GENTLEMAN EDT
A modern take on a
4
classic scent, this blend
fuses lavender with
sweet pear and a leath-
ery patchouli. Complex.
$89, macys.com

72 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

 A
NUTRITION
At breakfast
DIG INTO . . .
Plain, full-fat
Greek yogurt
It’s protein-
NOT
Regular
yogurt,
sweetened
packed, so you with “fruit”
stay fuller longer. You’ll con-
Plus, research sume less
shows that people protein and
who eat full-fat often way
yogurt have better more sugar.

14
metabolic health
than those who eat
low-fat varieties.

At the coffee shop

ORDER . . . NOT

SWAPS Iced coffee

For minimal
calories, you
Frozen
coffee drink
It’s brimming

FOR BETTER drink in a big

antioxidant
payload.
with calories,
mostly from
sugar.

HEALTH At breakfast (II)

In Genius Foods, my book with FRY UP . . . NOT
coauthor Paul Grewal, M.D., you’ll find Pasture-raised Conventional
an eating plan that’s both nutritious eggs Compared eggs Okay,
to conventional so they’re not
and delicious. Make these easy swaps eggs, they have bad for you,
and watch your weight drop, your more omega- but they could
brainpower surge, and your tastebuds 3s and more be even more
beta-carotene, nutritious.
rejoice. By Max Lugavere a pigment with
antioxidant
properties that
On your salad protects your
body from free
SHAKE ON . . . NOT radical damage.
Salted Croutons That’s why the
pistachios Many pack- yolks are often
You’ll take in aged croutons more orange.
heart-healthy are made with
fats with a refined flour
satisfying and hydroge-
crunch. nated oils.

And to that point...

BUY . . . NOT
Whole eggs Egg whites
They contain They contain
not only protein beneficial
but also vita- minerals but
mins, minerals, are mostly
On your salad (II)
carotenoids, and just protein.
DRIZZLE ON . . . NOT healthy fats.
DIY dressing It’s easy. Combine
Shutterstock (3), Getty Images (3)

Commercial
equal parts extra-virgin olive oil salad dressing
and an acid (lemon juice, vinegar, These are typically
Dijon), and season to taste with made with cheap
salt and pepper. You get your oils. And beware of
healthy fats without the sugar. sweet ingredients!

74 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

®
 A NUTRITION

FIVE 1bars)
Granola (and granola
You spelled
“HEALTH “dessert” wrong.
FOODS” They’re
2 Commercial juices
a great way to
THAT mainline sugar. Better
For spaghetti ARE schedule a nap.
3 Packaged whole-wheat
ACTUALLY bread Most of it has
COOK UP . . .
“Spiralized”
NOT
Spaghetti CRAP added sugar.
zucchini Fiber, The white 4 “Fake meat” burgers
minimal carbs, stuff is mostly
They’re amazing if
you want to eat a bunch
and lots of starch, and of weird processed
vitamin C and processing ingredients.
potassium. strips most
Zoodles rule! nutrition.
5 Gluten-free junk food
It’s still junk food!

On top of spaghetti On top of spaghetti (II)

SIMMER . . . NOT SHAKE ON . . . NOT
Homemade tomato Commercial tomato Nutritional yeast Pregrated
sauce Throw a pint sauce Food manu- True to its name, it “Parmesan”
of cherry tomatoes facturers often jack contains protein, cheese Nutrition-
into a large skillet with up the sugar content fiber, and B vitamins ally, it doesn’t
As a snack
a glug of extra-virgin and incorporate to help your cells bring much to SCOOP WITH . . . NOT
olive oil and a sliced crummy processed produce energy. It the table. The Cucumber Tortilla
garlic clove. Heat on oils, which affect tastes similar to real stuff tastes slices They’re chips
medium until a sauce flavor and nutrition. the shake-on stuff better too! mostly water, They’re
forms, about 20 min- you’d normally use. plus some fiber, often oily,
utes. Season with salt and can handle empty
and pepper. a hefty load of carbohy-
guacamole. drates.

To bookend a burger
USE . . . NOT
Grilled portabello White bread
mushroom cap You’ll burger bun
score fiber, minerals, and It’s often made
antioxidants. Just brush it from refined
lightly with extra-virgin flour, which is
olive oil and grill over direct, empty calories. On a spoonful of
FIVE CARBS high heat until tender. peanut butter
YOU SHOULD EAT TOP WITH . . . NOT
1 Blueberries They’re rich in Cacao nibs They Milk
anthocyanins, which are linked to don’t have sugar. chocolate
improved cognitive function. They do have chips
disease-fighting You’ll just
2 Beets They’re a great source
of nitrates, and the dietary nitrate flavanols. be adding
from beets may enhance blood sugar.
vessel function.
3 Sweet potatoes The orange To build a taco
means they’re rich in brain- and
eye-boosting beta carotene. WRAP IN . . . NOT

4 Dark chocolate The flavonols may Romaine Flour tortilla

improve heart health and boost lettuce leaf It’s typically
On a burger
Shutterstock (6), Getty Images (2)

brain performance. It has very calorie-dense

few calories and made with
5 Purple sweet potatoes Like blue- SLATHER ON . . . NOT
berries, these are a good source and contains refined flour.
Hummus Weird? Maybe. Ketchup
of anthocyanins, which have been some essential
Nutritious? Heck yeah. It contains a
linked to colon cancer prevention vitamins and
You’ll receive a little whole lot of
in rodent studies. minerals.
protein and fiber, plus a sugar. What
luscious creamy texture. are you, 12?

76 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

4 Bedrooms

2 Bathrooms

1 Big yard where brothers

will forge a lifelong bond,
one Full Nelson at a time.

Everything you need to

buy, sell or rent, with ease.

Find your way home.®

 A
NUTRITION
FAST SNACK
This zucchini boat
carries the cargo of a
quick quinoa salad.

STUFFED!
It’s an easy way to create a
well-rounded meal: Insert one
delicious food into another
delicious food. Check out our
chart. Then stuff yourself.

HEARTY MEAL
Roasted squash plus
chili equals gut-patting
satisfaction.

78 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

 STUFFERS
1 2 3 4 5 6
VESSELS

Acorn squash half

Seeds scooped,
baked till tender

Avocado half
Pitted and peeled

Bell pepper
Stem sliced off,
seeds scooped

Sweet potato half

Baked till tender

Tomato
Stem sliced off,
seeds scooped

Portobello
mushroom
Stem and gills
removed

Zucchini, halved
Seeds scooped

= GREAT = EH...

STUFFERS

1 Chili chicken broth. the juice of ½ lemon, 5 BBQ pork

Trust your recipe, or Bring everything and a pinch each If you don’t use your
go with Eden Kidney to a simmer. Add ½ of salt and pepper. recipe, the packaged
Bean & Kamut Chili. bunch stemmed and Feeds 4. stuff works too. Try
chopped kale; cover Dinosaur Bar-B-Que’s.
2 Tuscan beans and cook till the kale 4 Shrimp salad
and greens wilts, about 2 minutes. In a large bowl, mix 6 Quinoa salad
In a large pan on Stir in ½ cup small 1 lb chopped cooked In a bowl, whisk ¼ cup
medium heat, cook seasoned croutons shrimp, 1 cup finely olive oil, 2 Tbsp bal-
4 oz diced pancetta and ¼ cup grated chopped pineapple, samic vinegar, 1 tsp
SIMPLE SIDE
The pepper brings until it releases its Parmesan. Feeds 4. 1 finely chopped small salt, and ⅛ tsp black
crunch; beans and oil. Add ½ diced small red bell pepper, ½ pepper. Mix in 1 cup
greens add heft. onion and 1 minced 3 Salmon salad finely chopped small cooked quinoa, ½ cup
garlic clove; cook Drain two 6 oz cans red onion, 1 finely canned chickpeas,
until softened, about of salmon. In a bowl, chopped small jala- 1 diced small red
3 minutes. Add a 15 mix the salmon with peño, ¼ cup chopped onion, 1 diced red bell
oz can of white beans 1 finely diced celery fresh cilantro, and pepper, ¼ cup each
(drained), a 14.5 oz rib, ½ minced small the juice of 1 lime and chopped pecans and
can of diced toma- shallot, 1 Tbsp capers, 1 lemon. Season to dried cranberries,
toes (with liquid), and 1 Tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp taste with salt and and 2 Tbsp chopped
¼ cup low-sodium chopped fresh dill, pepper. Feeds 4. parsley. Feeds 6.

MEN’S HEALTH COOKBOOK OF THE MONTH

THE WICKED HEALTHY COOKBOOK
Stop settling for steamed broccoli—there’s far more flavor
to be had in “getting your vegetables”: sweet potato gratin
with crispy onions, sloppy BBQ jackfruit sliders, a big honkin’
noodle bowl loaded with a bushel of farmers’ market
produce. The book, out now, is by Chad and Derek Sarno.
BEST TIP Buy better pasta by sight.
Cream-colored, dusty-looking pasta
is a sign of high-quality production.
The matte texture helps sauce cling
to cooked noodles. A smooth, shiny
surface and yellowish hue indicates
lackluster, mass-produced stuf.

MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 79

 A
D R I N KS
Angler’s
Cocktail
This summer spin
on the Old-Fashioned
employs rosemary
Smash Stuff
As the name suggests,
a smash cocktail usu-
ally involves breaking
stuff, in this case
Sage Mezcal
Margarita
The sage takes the
edge off the mezcal’s
aggressive smokiness,
Queens Park
Swizzle
“The mint acts as a
citrus base in this one,”
says Guy. Its clean,
to complement muddling basil and while the lime lifts the airy flavor cuts through
the pomegranate in blackberries before floral notes in the sage. the murky bitters.
the grenadine. shaking the hell out of Bonus: This cocktail “Like the Swizzle’s
it. Like all crushed-ice puts grilled chicken cousin, the Smash, it’s
WHAT YOU’LL NEED cocktails, this drink is over the top. built to be put down
2 oz gin a quick quaffer, not a quickly on a hot day.”
½ oz grenadine slow sipper. Proceed WHAT YOU’LL NEED
(see recipe) with caution. 3 sage leaves WHAT YOU’LL NEED
2 dashes Angostura 2 oz mezcal 5-6 mint leaves,
bitters WHAT YOU’LL NEED (like Del Maguey) plus a mint sprig
2 dashes orange 5 basil leaves for garnish
1 oz fresh lime juice

HAVE A DRINK bitters

Orange peel
3
2
blackberries
oz bourbon
1/2 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz triple sec
1 Demerara sugar cube
2 dashes Peychaud’s
bitters
ON HERB Small sprig rosemary

When nice weather brings
you fresh basil, rosemary, sage,
and more, put them on ice.
By John McCarthy
Behold the
HOW TO MAKE IT
¾
¾
oz fresh lemon juice
oz simple syrup
(see recipe)
(like Cointreau)
Saline (see recipe)
2 oz light rum
1 oz lime juice
In a rocks glass,
Lime wheel
2 dashes Angostura
combine the gin, HOW TO MAKE IT HOW TO MAKE IT
bitters
grenadine, and both In a mixing glass, mud- Bruise 2 sage leaves HOW TO MAKE IT
bitters. Add a large dle 4 basil leaves and lightly in a shaker. Fill In a collins glass,
ice cube. Rim the 2 blackberries; then fill halfway with ice cubes muddle the mint, sugar,
glass with orange peel the glass halfway with and add the mezcal, and Peychaud’s. Fill
and drop it into glass. ice. Add the bourbon, lime juice, simple the glass with shaved
Garnish with a sprig
lemon juice, and syrup.

Q season’s most
unsung cocktail
of fresh rosemary. Shake well. Strain over
ice into a double rocks
glass. Garnish with a
syrup, and triple sec.
Shake well. Double-
strain into a saline-
rimmed coupe glass.
or crushed ice. Add
rum and lime juice
and “swizzle” with a bar
spoon until the glass
basil leaf wrapped Garnish with a lime frosts. Top with bitters;
ingredient: freshly around a blackberry
and speared with a
wheel and sage leaf. garnish with mint sprig.
Drink with a straw.
picked herbs. fancy toothpick.
“Herbs create a nice
balance to summer
fruits and elevate Keep it simple
the freshness of a You can pay a lot
for poor quality
drink, just like they syrups, or you can
do in food,” says do like the pros and
make your own. Use
Tim Guy, a head one simple, easy
technique to make
bartender with all three go-tos.
New York City’s Grenadine
Cork and Kerry In a small pot, com-
bine 1 cup each of
group. Try these pomegranate juice
four cocktails. and sugar. Bring to
a boil and stir until
Then maybe go dissolved, about
2 minutes. Cool to
plant more herbs. room temperature.
Simple syrup
In a small pot,
combine 1 cup each
of water and sugar.
Bring to a boil and stir
until dissolved, about
2 minutes. Cool to
room temperature.

Saline
In a small pot, com-
bine 1 cup water and
No, dried 2 Tbsp sea salt. Bring
herbs won’t to a boil and stir until
work in these dissolved, about
cocktails. 2 minutes. Cool to
That’s gross. room temperature.
Fresh is best.
Levi Brown/Trunk Archive

80 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

 LOSE
FAT
FAST—
ON SALE
NOW
FOR
GOOD!
Men’s Health nutrition advisor and weight loss expert Michael Roussell provides
a science-backed, 28-day plan to lose fat and keep it of—for good! Roussell
combines the latest nutrition science with an easy-to-use plan that allows people
to lose up to 15 pounds in just 28 days. By discovering your personal “secret
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For more information go to MetaShredDiet.com

150882
 A
NUTRITION
CHEESY FIX
Taco Bell Shredded
Chicken Mini Quesadilla
By way of comparison,
Sonic’s Grilled Cheese
has 14 grams of protein,
440 calories, and 51
grams of carbs, 7 of
which are sugar. This
B R E A K FA S T has chicken, chipotle
McDonald’s Sausage McMuffin With Egg sauce, and a blend of
Under the arches reside the most options for cheap, fast cheddar, mozzarella,
a.m. eats. Skip the sugary Sausage McGriddles; go with and Monterey pepper
sausage on an English muffin with egg and cheese. It’ll save jack. No sugar. 200 cal-
you 12 grams each of carbs and sugar. Add a cappuccino ories, 10g protein, 15g
(below left). Solid breakfast. 470 calories, 21g protein, carbs (1g fiber), 10g fat
30g carbs (2g fiber), 30g fat

B E V E R AG E SIDE
McDonald’s Small Wendy’s Caesar Side
McCafé Cappuccino Salad (with dressing)
Most value menus are Wendy’s offers two salads. This
overflowing with sodas and one is higher in protein and
slushies, all of which pile lower in carbs, even with the
on the added sugars. Steer croutons and dressing. “It’s
clear of those orders, and a good way to add volume to
any frappés and flavored your meal so you aren’t hungry
lattes. The only sugar in this afterward,” says Mike Roussell,
frothy whole-milk cappuc- Ph.D., author of The MetaShred
cino is lactose—a natural Diet. 230 calories, 8g protein,
component of the milk. 17g carbs (3g fiber), 15g fat
120 calories, 6g protein, 9g
carbs (0g fiber), 6g fat

KIDS’ ITEM

8
Happy Meal with
WAYS 4-Piece Chicken
McNuggets, Apple

TO EAT Slices, 1% Low Fat Milk

The chicken provides
lean protein, and McD’s

BETTER milk comes from cows not

treated with rbST hormones,

OFF THE
so you can feel better about
feeding the kids fast food.
Plus, apples are a good-for-

VALUE them dessert. 300 calories,

18g protein, 27g carbs
(1g fiber), 13g fat

MENU
Inexpensive fast food doesn’t have to be total BURGER

junk. We compared value menus from the big Burger King Double Cheeseburger
Yes, go for a double. Because for 110 more calories and
chain joints, looking for items high in protein no additional carbs beyond the regular cheeseburger’s,
and iber and low in empty carbs like added you score an extra 8 grams of protein. “Eat it open-face to
sugars. These wallet-friendly options are best cut out at least 10 grams of carbs,” suggests Roussell.
It’ll taste the same. Promise. 390 calories, 23g protein,
for your body. By Brittany Risher 27g carbs (0g fiber), 21g fat

S A N DW I C H
Wendy’s Grilled
Chicken Wrap
Other handhelds use crispy
chicken only; the bread-
ing racks up carbs. This
wrap has grilled chicken,
lettuce, cheddar, and honey
mustard. “In a pinch, this
could fly as a snack,” Rous-
sell says. “For a meal, order
two, combine the fillings
into one tortilla, and toss the
extra.” 270 calories,
20g protein, 24g carbs
(2g fiber), 10g fat

BURRITO Sonic has all-day breakfast, so you can order its Everyday Deals burrito
Sonic Jr. anytime you want. The combo of egg, sausage, and cheese has as much
Breakfast protein as Taco Bell’s bloated Dollar Cravings burritos, with half the carbs
Burrito and 140 fewer calories. Two make a meal. 300 calories, 12g protein,
24g carbs (1g fiber), 17g fat

82 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 WONG CHI LUI


Avoiding Oice Temptations
How To Resist he hings You Know Are Bad
I
t’s 10:30am on Monday and the temptations
are everywhere. How do I stop myself? I have
several sweet, sexy, bad things showing-up
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just staring and wanting to devour just about
anything I see. Carbs are my worst enemy.
Earlier this month, we setup an oice
weight-loss challenge. he problem has been is
that there is temptation everywhere. here was
Tom’s 40th Birthday cake or someone’s going
away party. Another email pings my inbox, this
time it’s an update – there’s leftover donuts in
the break room. How do I resist? I am constantly
starving. One small bite won’t hurt, right?
1
Mattes et al. Physiology & Behavior 2000 Oct 1-15;71(1-2):87-94.
2
hom E. Journal of International Medical Research 2007 Nov-Dec;35(6):900-8.
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hree weeks into our ‘challenge’, and only
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 S E TH M U R PHY WAS 31 YE AR S O LD when he died of colon cancer. He wasn’t
IMMORTALITY married, he had no kids, and his career as an oil and gas attorney in Oklahoma
City was successful but not extravagantly so. On the surface, it may seem that
GUARANTEED Seth left no legacy and had little impact outside his family and church. But
A
H E A LT H before he died, Seth had signed up for whole-body donation. He agreed to allow
as many of his body parts as possible to be used for transplants and scientiic
Want to live forever and change
research wherever they were needed around the world.
the world? It’s easier than you think.
“Seth enjoyed fantasy football, video games, and online gambling, and he liked
Here’s the remarkable story of how
to win,” says his mother, Rexanna Murphy. “He gave throughout his life, and
one young man “cheated death”—
although he lost his battle with cancer he’s winning now by letting his body be
and how you can too. By Joe Kita
used in so many ways. Life may not have played fair with Seth, but he’s cheating
death.” With the help of the nonproit
United Tissue Network, which orches-
trated the donation and distribution, we IMPACT MAP
Where Seth Murphy’s
tracked Seth’s post-death journey. Here’s body parts were used.
not just where he ended up, but most
1
Head and brain
important, how he lives on.
COLORADO
4
1
63
PENNSYLVANIA

For privacy reasons—and there are plenty ILLINOIS

in the area of whole-body donation— CALIFORNIA 2
the only information that can be divulged 5 OKLAHOMA POLAND
about the use of Seth’s head and brain 7
is that they went to a training facility in
Illinois where they were used for “anatomy
education of future doctors.”

2
Cornea (right)
It was transplanted into the right eye
of Tina Singer, a 71-year-old retired
psychologist who breeds thoroughbred
racehorses outside Edmond, Oklahoma.
Singer had radial keratotomy surgery about
40 years ago, and complications gradually
eroded her peripheral vision and depth
and color perception to the point where she
stopped driving. (She’d also broken her
shoulder in a collision with a spooked horse
she didn’t see coming.) The Oklahoma
Lions Eye Bank facilitated the transplant,
and Singer’s recovery has been slow but
promising. “My best friend of nearly
40 years just passed away,” says Singer. “He
used to drive me around and help me on
the ranch, so I’m so grateful for this chance
to see and be more independent again.”
 BETH BISCHOFF (man), Naypong/ Getty Images (wings)

3
Body fluids
OraSure Technologies in Pennsylvania specializes in
oral luid diagnostics to detect urgent medical conditions.
(Think oral luid tests for HIV.) Swabs from Seth’s mouth
5
Knees (right and left)
The VA San Diego Healthcare System, in
were used for research on the OraQuick Ebola Rapid Anti-
collaboration with UC San Diego School of Med-
gen Test, which helps medical teams in the ield quickly
icine, used Seth’s knee joints for researching
identify the Ebola Zaire virus as a cause of death.
better MRI and ultrasound techniques.
These could potentially allow for earlier and
more accurate diagnosis of osteoarthritis,
osteoporosis, and tendon/ligament degenera-
tion. Each knee was used in three to four
diferent projects. Being able to analyze actual
human tissue on a molecular level helps experts
4
Shoulders (right and left)
validate new imaging techniques.

The Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Colorado

used Seth’s shoulders in multiple ways. Fellows at this
sports medicine facility used them to practice rotator
cuf and labrum repair surgery. Then both joints became
part of two research projects—one to determine the
best way to ix or “plate” a fractured clavicle, and
the other to test a new repair procedure for rotator cuf
tears called superior capsule reconstruction.
6Torso
A “musculoskeletal solutions company” in Pennsylvania (which asked
to be unnamed) used Seth’s torso to train surgeons in something called
a lateral lumbar interbody fusion. This new procedure, used to treat
leg and back pain resulting from degenerative disc disease and herniated
discs, is done through an incision in the patient’s side, thereby avoid-
ing major muscles and nerves. This type of minimally invasive surgery
allows patients to have a faster and less painful recovery.
HOW TO CHEAT DEATH
Whole-body donation differs from organ donation
in that it involves using body parts for the addi-
tional purpose of medical education and training.
You can be a transplant donor and a whole-body donor just
Q
like Seth. United Tissue Network is one of seven accredited
7
Feet (right and left)
U.S. organizations coordinating the process. Donor families Across the ocean, the Lux Med Group’s Medical
do not usually know where or how body parts are used. Education Center in Warsaw used Seth’s feet in an
orthopedic treatment course for doctors. The class
UTN executive director Alyssa Harrison says about 50,000 provided them with the opportunity to practice surgical
whole-body donations occur annually in the United States, techniques for treating deformities of the forefoot.
and each donor is placed into six medical education and/ “Theoretical training or training on simulators cannot
replace training on human tissues,” says lab
or research programs, on average. The nation’s whole-body manager Krzysztof Skrzos. “It relects the prevailing
donations could double and still not meet the need. conditions in a real operating theater.”

ERIC HEINTZ MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 85

 A
H E A LT H

FRIED
Avoid these 7 causes of job
burnout and enjoy success on
your terms. By David Ferry

Q
Steve Blank’s oh-shit
moment came during a
Friday afternoon sales
meeting. He had been dividing
his time between two Silicon
Valley tech jobs, one for a com-
pany outside Palo Alto serving
the defense and intelligence
communities, and the other for a
microprocessor producer called
Zilog. He was good at his work—
necessary, even. He put in six or
seven 16-hour days a week and
accepted the crazy schedule.
At the Friday meeting, “about
three-quarters of the way
through my workweek,” as
Blank puts it, a colleague
reminded him about upcom-
ing classes he needed to teach.
“The devil is in the details,”
the colleague advised. Blank
nodded and went for the obvious
defense contractor joke: “I’ve
got it under control, as long as
the devil coming at me isn’t an
SS-18.” (He was referring to a ON SIMMER
Russian ICBM dubbed “Satan”). As estimated 25
percent of workers
Expecting at least a chuckle have at least one sign
or two, Blank saw only uncom- of burnout (even if
prehending stares. Weird, he they don’t show it).
thought. Then it hit him: These
weren’t his defense contractor
coworkers. He wasn’t even at
his defense gig. He was at Zilog left the meeting and sat in his simple matter of fatigue or leagues and struggle to ind
and, to his growing horror, he oice looking befuddled. boredom. Nor is it tied solely to the courage to get out of bed;
realized that he had no memory “Take it easy this weekend,” level of compensation. Severe you might feel detached from
of driving across town to get the VP of sales told him. burnout can be debilitating. your life, almost as if you’re
there, no recollection of greet- “You look a little burned-out.” You may ind yourself growing operating on autopilot. Burn-
ing his colleagues, no idea how Most of what you think profoundly cynical and feel out syndrome, at its worst,
he’d gotten through most of the you know about burnout is like you never accomplish can ravage workers and even
afternoon without even know- probably wrong. Occupational anything at work; you may entire companies.
ing where he was. Blank later burnout like Blank’s is not a hate your clients and col- According to psychologist

90 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018


Michael Leiter, Ph.D., 25
percent of the workers he’s
studied sufer from at least
one symptom of burnout, and “I LEARNED IT
he suspects that igure is also
true of the workforce at large.
Burnout doesn’t discrim-
inate, and it afects people
across the board—blue collar
and white collar workers,
entrepreneurs, call center
employees, tech pros, teachers.
In this always-on age, when
reading a new email from the
boss on your smartphone may
be the irst and last thing you
do every day, it’s not surpris-
ing that the problem seems to
be worsening.
“It’s cultural—real men work
till they drop,” says Blank. “I
learned it from my boss, who
learned it from his boss, who
probably learned it from some
Neanderthal.”
“There’s no question that
we’re at greater risk of burnout delights in it. That’s one rea-
today than we were 10 years
ago,” says Ron Friedman,
Ph.D., a psychologist who
works with private and cor-
porate clients. Men and their
supervisors may have miscon-
ceptions about what burnout
is and have little idea how
to stop it. One assumption is
that employees crack because
they can’t handle their work-
load. This view assumes that
something is wrong with you
if you’re struggling, “that you
must be weak, not competent,” nizational psychology at
says Christina Maslach, Ph.D., Australia’s Deakin University,
a professor of psychology at
UC Berkeley. But burnout isn’t
just about being overworked.
In fact, researchers have iden-
tiied several common causes.
Here’s a rundown and, most
important, how to avoid them.
You’re always connected.
This may be the major reason
burnout is on the rise. “We’re
Yasu + Junko/Trunk Archive
surrounded by devices
designed to grab our atten-
tion and make everything
feel urgent,” says Friedman.
“Before the Blackberry and
“IT’S CULTURAL—
REAL MEN WORK
TILL THEY DROP,”
SAYS BLANK.
FROM MY BOSS
WHO LEARNED
IT FROM HIS BOSS
WHO PROBABLY
LEARNED IT
FROM SOME
NEANDERTHAL.”
iPhone, leaving your work at
the oice was the default.
Today we’re all carrying our
oice around in our pocket.”
Indeed, in a recent survey of
HR execs by the companies
Kronos and Future Workplace,
32 percent cited “too much
overtime/after-hours work”
as a primary contributor to
employee burnout.
Q Burnout buster Your brain
loves color. It responds to it. It
son you love your smartphone
so much. To ease the compul-
sion to check it, the Center for
Humane Technology suggests
turning of the color. Grayscal-
ing the screen may make you
less likely to pick it up and also
spend less time online when
you do so. Google “grayscale”
and your speciic phone model
for instructions.
Your coworkers are idiots.
Leiter, a professor of orga-
studies burnout and incivility
in the workplace. He asked
burned-out nurses what
caused them the most distress
at work. Many mentioned
“unpleasant interactions” with
coworkers, namely the woman
who doesn’t say hello when she
walks by, doctors who are rude
to anyone “beneath them,”
and the endless snark from
all quarters. To ind out if this
incivility was contributing
to their burnout, Leiter
organized meetings during
which he encouraged everyone
to discuss their feelings.
Then, he says, he “basi-
cally taught them to talk
nice to each other.” The
result? A year later, with a
new social climate in the
hospital, nurse absentee
rates had declined dra-
matically, and follow-up
surveys were positive.
Q Burnout buster People
want to feel valued. If
that isn’t happening in
your workplace, be the change
you desire. Say hello in the
morning. Don’t be dismissive
of support staf, and cut back
on your own snark. Civility
is contagious. If a colleague
keeps acting like an idiot, try
respectfully and honestly
explaining how his or her
behavior is afecting you. And
if all else fails, remember
the personal motto of WWII
general “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell,
popularized by Barry Gold-
water and displayed on the
desk of former house speaker
John Boehner: “Don’t let the
bastards grind you down.”
You’re genetically wired
for burnout.
Burnout could be hardwired
into your DNA. Studies have
recently tied depression
to speciic genes. Wilmar
Schaufeli, Ph.D., a professor
of psychology at Utrecht Uni-
versity in the Netherlands, is
investigating this connection.
Burnout has been shown to
be more common in children
with burned-out parents or
siblings, he says, but that may
not mean it’s genetic; home
life could have spurred it.
Research also notes correla-
tions between instances of
burnout and depression.
Q Burnout buster If your
family tree has some charred
branches, start paying more
attention to the state of your
mental health. (Mindfulness
is all the rage for a reason.)
Be proactive; if you’re starting
to feel burned-out, don’t let
MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
it fester. Some companies
provide a few sessions of free,
conidential psychological
counseling as part of their
health-care beneits. Check if
your employer does and, if so,
take advantage of it.
Your job is unfair.
The guy who fails upward. The
credit-grabbing sycophant
who gets Employee of the Year.
The coworker with the same
duties who earns more than
you do. Workplaces that feel
unfair breed burnout. Four out
of 10 HR execs in the Kronos/
Future Workplace survey
named “unfair compensa-
tion” as a top contributor to
employee burnout; it was
the most common response.
But unfairness is nuanced. As
one worker told Leiter, “the
randomness of why some
are promoted and others are
ignored drains your spirit.”
Q Burnout buster Are you a
manager? Then this one might
be your fault. Employees may
ind out if a worker in a similar
role makes more money than
they do. Salary parity—or
the occasional bonus—helps
reward employees and may
keep turnover rates low. Not
a manager? Ask your super-
visor what speciic responsi-
bilities or achievements it
would take for you to get the
promotion or pay raise you
deserve—and then nail them.
Your job is your identity.
Jari Hakanen, Ph.D., a
research professor at the
Finnish Institute of Occu-
pational Health, believes
burnout stems partly from
our fundamental relationship
with work. People who derive
all their satisfaction and self-
worth from their job are more
likely to burn out when things
go south in the workplace.
“Although being passionate
and engaged in work can be
positive, research shows that
it’s good to detach from work,”
91
 A H E A LT H
Hakanen says. “You regain
your energies. You need other
things in your life to build your
identity around. It’s not just
work that is your life.”
Q Burnout buster The next
time a stranger asks you what
you do, try responding by not
mentioning your job. If you
struggle with that, guess what?
Your job is probably your iden-
tity. Try exploring new ways
to deine yourself. Take up a
new hobby, one that’s person-
ally challenging and satisfying.
Hakanen is into ice swimming.
“I’ve never seen anybody think-
ing about work issues when
they’re in near-freezing water,”
he says. If that’s too Finnish for
you, there are a gazillion others
out there for you to try.
You feel a lack of control.
Burnout is deined as three
feelings: exhaustion, cyni-
cism, and something called
ineicacy, or the sense that
you’re incapable of accom-
plishing anything. A great
way to experience this is to get
stuck in a job that gives you
no control, says Hakanen. If
you don’t control your sched-
ule, you can’t optimize your
workload and things can pile
up—another big contributor
to burnout, according to the
Kronos/Future Workplace
survey. And if somebody else
is setting unrealistic goals and
expectations for you without
your input, that also makes it
easy to feel helpless.
Q Burnout buster Simply
letting people schedule their
workdays may help reduce
burnout. You have three
options for this: First, seize
the day and just start doing
it. As long as you’re meeting
your overall daily goals, the
boss shouldn’t care how you’re
getting there. If that’s not
possible, try saying “no” to
more work requests. Don’t
get carried away; all it takes
92 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
is an occasional, “Sorry, but
I just can’t do that” to make
you feel more empowered.
Finally, if neither option its
your workplace, make a to-do
list of what you can control
(stockpile sticky notes, air-
dust keyboard) and eliminate
items as they’re accomplished.
Don’t just tap “complete” on
a productivity app. Write
those items down—on paper,
dammit—and draw a thick,
aggressive line through each
one when done. The satisfac-
tion may help your attitude.
SELFIE?
Feeling like
toast is no
longer a career
boast.
Are you fried?
We all hate our jobs some-
times, but how can you tell
the diference between
a rough month and serious
burnout? Psychologists have
questionnaires for employees
and work teams that gauge
such things as emotional
exhaustion, satisfaction, and
cynicism. Paula Davis-Laack,
a former lawyer (who inci-
dentally became a “stress and
resilience expert” after
burning out), suggests ask-
ing yourself these questions.
Your job is booooring.
Tedious or unsatisfying work
erodes your sense of worth.
Nobody likes throwing away
eight (or 10 or 12) hours a day
on doing nothing. But pulling
an Oice Space stunt isn’t
always possible; somebody’s
got to pay the rent.
Q Burnout buster If you’re
stuck in a decent-paying gig
that just isn’t doing it for you,
Hakanen recommends “job
crafting.” This means working
within the conines of your job
to focus on what you enjoy or
ind fulilling. Is there another
duty you could take on that
you’re good at and genuinely
like doing, even if it adds to
1. Are you chronically—that is,
more often than not—physically
and emotionally exhausted?
2. Do you feel a persistent sense
of cynicism? That everybody
and everything bugs you or rubs
you the wrong way?
3. Have you started to lose
empathy for your coworkers or
clients?
4. Do you often feel a sense of
ineffectiveness, that you can’t
process or handle work the way
you used to?
5. Are you feeling physically ill
more frequently? Do colds and flus
come on after the adrenaline from
big assignments wears off?
your workload? Go for it. That
goofy kid right out of college
trying to make his way in the
irm? Consider mentoring
him. And although this may
sound crazy, changing your
attitude about your job could
help too. Think of it this way:
You’re not just managing
employees and tasks; you’re
part of a company pushing
technology forward and
making life better for custom-
ers. Go ahead and roll your
eyes, but the beneits of such
“cognitive restructuring” are
supported by research.
Steve Blank learned all
these lessons the hard way.
After that frightening Friday,
he took a couple of days of and
drove an unspoiled stretch of
the California coast. Amid the
redwood groves, seaside clifs,
and scent of eucalyptus, he
realized that no one was going
to send him a memo to work
less. So he decided to work only
at what interested him most.
And he vowed to forge a life
outside work, eventually buy-
ing a home on a serene patch of
land by the sea.
These life decisions didn’t
sabotage Blank’s career or
make him any less success-
ful. No, he went on to eight
diferent startups and was an
innovator in startup creation.
But by keeping work in per-
spective, he did it on his terms.
You can too.
6. Is every curveball a crisis? Do
you overreact to minor last-minute
changes to plans or assignments?
If you answered “yes” to three or
more of these questions, you may
be more than just annoyed with
your job, says Davis-Laack. That’s
okay, though. “Help can come
in a variety of ways,” she says.
Depending on your comfort
level, you could talk to your boss,
find a work and stress coach,
or reach out to a licensed thera-
Levi Brown/Trunk Archive
pist. Signing up for a company-
provided training course or
even a single-day workshop can
teach men how to cope with—
and beat—career burnout. What-
ever you do, don’t just stew.
 A
H E A LT H

SHOULD YOU BE ON STATINS?

Dan Saelinger/Trunk Archive

94 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

 Yes.
(If risk is significant)
STEVEN NISSEN, M.D.,
Chief of Cardiovascular
Medicine, Cleveland Clinic
I B
always recommend statins to people
who have coronary heart disease or
who’ve had a heart attack, stroke,
bypass surgery, or a coronary stent. And
that’s regardless of their cholesterol levels. In
fact, these patients speciically beneit from
high doses of atorvastatin or rosuvastatin,
which reduce their risk of a repeat event.
The controversy revolves around people who don’t have
heart problems yet but do have an increased risk of heart
disease. To determine whether someone needs statins,
doctors typically use an algorithm that includes such risk
factors as age, race, total cholesterol, HDL, and systolic
blood pressure. (You can plug in your numbers at tools.acc.
org/ASCVD-Risk-Estimator.) Unfortunately, this algo-
rithm is lawed. It leaves out family history, which is crucial.
People with a high genetic risk of heart disease are the ones
cardiologists like me worry about most. Statins may help in
their case too, so I always consider family history along with
the other risk factors. (A Lancet study found that statins are
actually most beneicial for people with a high genetic risk
for heart disease.) Sometimes I’ll check for high-sensitivity
C-reactive protein, a sign of inlammation.
Some guys are adamant about not taking medicine and
may even attempt to lower their cholesterol with worth-
less dietary supplements, such as red yeast rice or garlic.
Doing so is inefective and dangerous. People shouldn’t
fear statins. They are among the safest drugs we’ve ever
developed. The vast majority of people who take them have
absolutely no side efects. If you’re a candidate for statins but
are worried about starting a drug you’ll have to take forever,
consider this: There’s nothing worse than being in the
prime of your life and having a heart attack.
No.
(If you have yet to try
lifestyle changes)
STEPHEN SINATRA, M.D.,
Cardiologist and Founder of
the HeartMD Institute
ack in the 1990s, I thought statins
were miracle drugs, but I’ve since
changed my tune. There’s no
question that certain men need
them. If a man has heart disease or risk factors
and a strong family history, I’m aggressive in
prescribing them. Their anti-inlammatory
efects are important in cases like these.
That said, I believe statins are being overprescribed.
(About one in four adults age 40 and over take them, the
CDC reports.) Cardiac risk spikes between ages 50 and 75.
Men in this age group might beneit from a statin if they
have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high weight, and
diabetes or prediabetes. But I rarely dole out the drugs with-
out recommending heart-healthy lifestyle changes irst.
That’s because research suggests that the drugs may
increase the risk of prostate cancer, diabetes, and cata-
racts. And some people can’t tolerate statins. They may
cause gastrointestinal trouble, nerve problems after
long-term use, and muscle pain. It’s estimated that 5 to 29
percent of users sufer muscle pain, but I think the preva-
lence is much higher.
Unfortunately, statins are viewed as a shortcut. It’s a lot
easier to pop one daily than it is to eat well and exercise. And
it’s easier for time-pressed doctors too, compared to coach-
ing their patients through lifestyle changes.
Sure, high cholesterol numbers can mean something, but
I like to ind out why they’re high. Weight gain? Inactivity?
If a guy can lose 10 or 15 pounds, generally that will reduce
his cholesterol and heart disease risk. If he can’t, then I’ll
consider a statin, especially for someone with coronary
artery disease or other high risks. I sleep better knowing
these high-risk guys are on statins. But generally, I won’t
prescribe them unless I’m forced to.
MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 95
 A
WEIGHT
LOS S

FAT-
PROOF
YOUR
WORLD
13 clever ways to put your
environment on a diet
and slim down for good.
By Mary Brophy Marcus

SANDRA HASSINK, M.D., HAS BEEN

Q studying childhood obesity for

more than 30 years. And the
most important thing she’s learned—
applicable to kids and grown men alike—is

this: “All the willpower in the world,” she
says, “can’t overcome an obesogenic
environment.” In other words, to lose
weight and keep it of, you have to adjust
your world so it’s not constantly tempting
you. Instead of putting yourself on a diet,
put your environment on one.
“You can’t make good health decisions
if your environment is always working
against you, because then you have to be
on alert 24-7,” says Dr. Hassink, founder
of the Nemours Weight Management
1 Do a Sunday evening
junk-food dump.
Like lint on a black sweater,
unhealthy foods and snacks
can accumulate in your home
without your realizing it. Pie from
the church bake sale, caramel
popcorn from the Boy Scouts, a
pork-kraut roll from Mom. And
before you know it, you’re shovel-
ing it into your mouth. Start the
workweek fresh by taking a few
minutes to rid your kitchen of crap
and shake the airline stroopwafels
out of your briefcase. “It’s amazing
$11
2 Trim down your
social media “feed.”
As if Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t
have enough reason to feel guilty,
Facebook could also be insid- EXTRA
iously filling you out. If certain AMOUNT,
friends and family members are
constantly sharing food porn and
ON AVERAGE,
YOU’LL NEED
decadent recipes, their posts
could be fattening up your space. TO SPEND
“How much time are you spending EACH WEEK
on those posts? Take notice if TO EAT
you find yourself getting hungry
just looking at them,” Dr. Hassink
HEALTHIER
says. If you are, then hide, snooze,
Christopher Grifith/Trunk Archive

Clinic in Wilmington, Delaware. “You
get tired. Things come up. It’s hard to [be
successful] without creating a healthy
environment in the irst place.” With
the help of Dr. Hassink and other weight
management experts, let’s start fat-
prooing your world.
how much food can creep in,”
Dr. Hassink says. If you don’t have
the heart to toss Mom’s signature
dish, just divide it into smaller
portions to freeze and reheat
later. And don’t get doggie bags
at restaurants anymore—unless
they’re actually for your dog.
or unfollow the worst offenders.
Likewise, trade all those craft
breweries and barbecue joints
you follow for sites that deliver
positive reinforcement, such as
@mealprepdaily, @wickedhealthy,
@besmarteatsmart, and Men’s
Health’s very own @guygourmet.

96 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018


3 Tweak your grocery list.
A common belief is that eating
healthy costs a lot. Not true, says
Adam Drewnowski, Ph.D., director
of the University of Washington
Center for Public Health Nutrition.
Research shows that the health-
iest diets—ones rich in fruits,
vegetables, fish, and nuts—cost
only $1.56 more per day (that’s
$10.92 per week) than the least
healthy diets—processed foods
and meats, refined grains. In fact,
stocking your world with nutri-
tious choices needn’t cost any-
thing extra. Swap the ten bucks
you’re currently dropping on cold
cuts, bread, and chips for a pound
of fresh strawberries ($3.99), an
avocado ($1.50), a bag of romaine
($2.60), and two single-serving
containers of low-fat Greek yogurt
($1 each). Drewnowski calls this
an “economic intervention,” a
conscious spending of $1.56 a day
on healthy foods instead of fatty,
carb-filled ones that will pay off
with gradual weight loss.
4 Declare war on one
junk food each month.
Diets fail because guys make
too many changes too suddenly
and try to do it all on their own.
So try getting everyone in the
family to agree on voting one junk
food out of the house each month.
Eliminating sugary drinks is an
obvious place to start. “Sugar-
sweetened beverages add a lot
of unnecessary calories to our
lives, and they are not nutritious,”
says Dr. Hassink. If anyone balks
at the idea, suggest tapering
consumption week by week. Then
next month, after you’ve lost your
taste for sweetened beverages
(and you will), boycott another
unhealthy food. The support of
other people makes it easier.
5 When traveling, book
a room in a pedestrian-
friendly part of town.
Whether you’re on the road for
business or vacation, you’ll get
more exercise and burn more
calories if you skip the car rental
and stay in a hotel or Airbnb in the
center of town, where you can
safely walk everywhere. “Nutrition
and activity are not just sideline
things we do, but health-building
or health-losing activities,” Dr.
Hassink explains. “Every decision
you make about eating and
activity is a health decision.”
6 Call the concierge.
Request that the mini-fridge
in your hotel room be emptied
before check-in. This removes
any possibility that you’ll give
STOCKING YOUR WORLD WITH
NUTRITIOUS CHOICES NEEDN’T
COST ANYTHING EXTRA.
into temptation and wake up in a 9 Change your commute.
bed full of Toblerone wrappers If you often succumb to tempta-
and tiny liquor bottles. Pack (or tion and stop for, say, a Grande
shop for) your own healthy snacks Caffè Mocha at Starbucks on your
instead and pop them in the fridge. way to work, consider changing
your route. That drink, even when
7 Renting a car? Go compact. made with 2% milk, has 360 calo-
When you step up to the reserva- ries, 15 grams of fat, 44 grams of
tions counter, ask the rep if you carbs, and 35 grams of sugar. Add
can be downgraded. That’s right. a blueberry muffin and you’ve just
A bigger rental may increase turned breakfast into a gut bomb.
your risk of supersizing your Keeping your kryptonite out of
meals and drinks on the road. It’s sight will make it less convenient
simply more comfortable and to pull in and indulge there.
convenient. Think about it: If the
cupholders can easily accommo- 10 Make sure you’re safe
date a Big Gulp, so can you. at this dangerous time.
Specifically, the hour or two after
8 Never let your fridge work ends and before dinner
become empty. begins is a weak spot for many
It sounds counterintuitive for men, says Simon. Make sure
weight loss, but the moment you’re nowhere near a happy
this happens is the moment you hour with free appetizers or an
become more likely to go out and ice cream stand with a drive-thru
order the Mini Corn Dog party during these times. Stash your
platter at Buffalo Wild Wings. So favorite protein bar in your car in
keep that refrigerator at least look- case of emergency.
ing full, says Judy Simon, R.D.N.,
of UW Medicine in Seattle. Buy 11 Parental-control yourself.
enough fruit, vegetables, and lean Don’t spend your weekends or
meats to last for the week, shop evenings watching the Food
twice a week, or set up regular Network or sports programming
delivery with your local supermar- with lots of food and beverage
ket. Or simply pull your food to the advertising. When the food
front of the shelves to create an shows and ads are streaming,
illusion of plenty. the temptation to overeat tends
Belly Off! Club
ONCE 565 POUNDS, NOW A GYM MANAGER
THE SETBACK
There’s a saying here in Iowa:
“Corn fed, Iowa bred.” I was a
chubby baby, a heavy kid, an
obese teen, and a morbidly obese
20-year-old. I was raised by my
grandma, who grew up in the
Great Depression and always
served me two of everything. Eat-
ing in excess was my norm.
THE WAKE-UP CALL
Delivering newspapers, I’d be out
of breath carrying bundles 12 to
15 steps. Riding my bike, I felt like
I was dying. I’d always thought
I was okay because everyone
Michael Shilkus around me was large. But I started
Before: 565 pounds suffering horrible depression
Current: 205 pounds because I didn’t have a social life. I
was just tired of being fat.
Age: 38
Courtesy Michael Shilkus (Shilkus)
THE FOOD
Height: 6'1" I used to eat 20,000 calories a
Occupation: Gym manager day—McDonald’s, Taco Bell, three
or four 8-ounce steaks, a pound of
Location: Ottumwa, Iowa fries. When I decided to change, I
started journaling my food. Once
Time to weight loss:
I hit 2,500 calories, I’d stop eating.
18 months
I lost 60 pounds in a month. Now I
MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
to increase, says Dr. Hassink. Try
watching something less food-
centric (or leaving the room
during commercials) and see if
your cravings don’t subside.
12 Find a “safety” restaurant.
Every meal can’t be home-cooked.
Occasionally life’s challenges
will force you to eat out or order
takeout. But don’t let that decision
be impromptu. Instead, do your
homework ahead of time and
pick a “safety” restaurant or two
near home with some nutritious
choices (or at least a cook willing
to broil instead of fry and who
knows what “light cheese” really
means). Think of this spot like your
grandparents viewed their local
diner, but healthier. Researching
tip: Eliminate any place with the
word “loaded” on its menu.
13 Manage the candy stash.
To keep from filching Easter
baskets or Halloween treats, buy
candy just one day before the hol-
iday. Buy only as much as needed,
and then immediately get rid of
leftovers. The less time sweets
linger in the house, the less likely
you’ll be to eat them. And above
all, never volunteer to be the dad
who loans his garage to the Girl
Scout troop for cookie storage.
eat nothing fried or starchy—lots
of grilled chicken, turkey burgers,
and broccoli (only vegetable I like).
THE EXERCISE
After I lost those 60 pounds, I
started going to the YMCA. The
treadmill would shut down and
flash “overload” after five minutes.
I’d unplug it and plug it back in
every five minutes for 25 minutes,
and I’d be drenched in sweat. I
eventually worked my way up to
jogging. Now I’ll do 90 minutes of
lifting then a 5-mile run.
THE REWARD
If you told me 15 years ago I’d be
able to run 13 miles, I’d say you
were crazy. But I can run circles
around the old me. My personality
has changed too—I’m more open
and conversational. When I was
bigger, I would get in and out of
stores without speaking to anyone.
Now, I can’t get through any store
without talking to 25 people.
››› Tell us your weight-loss story:
transformation@rodale.com
97
 On Westworld, he’s an android cowboy
with a mysterious past. But there’s nothing
robotic about James Marsden, a thoughtful
guy who doesn’t shy from emotion.
Let him inspire you. By Danielle Bacher
Photographs by Art Streiber

98 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

 “We see some
very dark
behavior on
this show. I
have to wash it
of afterward.
You have to
learn to roll
with the
DoWestworld craziness.”

robots WESTWORLD ROBOTS

cry real tears? That’d be a question for the bloggers and
Redditors who obsess over the hit HBO science-iction
mindbender. But right now, on a weekday morning in
the Santa Monica Mountains, Teddy Flood is welling up.
James Marsden, the actor who plays Flood, has
just shared some heartfelt thoughts about family and
fatherhood, and his eyes are moist. “Sorry, I get emo-
tional when I talk about this stuf,” he says.
He could blame the location—the small lake we just
passed in Franklin Canyon Park is where the nostalgic
opening for The Andy Griith Show was ilmed, with
Opie and his Pa going ishing. We’re technically in the
middle of Los Angeles but, as Marsden notes, it doesn’t he’s not working on Westworld, it’s two or three days
look like Los Angeles. “That’s such an L.A. thing to
say!” he says with a laugh.
Welcome to Marsdenworld, where a leisurely
morning stroll lets an actor take stock of his resurgent movies as Cyclops and just before his turn as a Disney
Styling: Sandra Nygaard, grooming: David Stanwell/Baxter of California/The Wall Group, prop styling Faethgruppe, production: Bauie Productions
the cast for Anchorman 2). Marsden then gives me a
sample: “Doesn’t look like anything to me!” he says in
lawless Burgundy, reciting a line spoken by Dolores
in a crucial moment.
Speaking of skin, robot Teddy spends much of his
downtime naked, meaning Marsden shot a scene
with Sir Anthony Hopkins while completely nude.
Well, almost. “Yeah, it was just me and this little sock TRAIN SMART,
STAY HEALTHY
over my thing,” he says. “You know, it feels vulnerable.
Nagging injuries led
There is nothing gratuitous about it. But it’s strange.” to safer workouts
The nudity means the 44-year-old Marsden works for Marsden. After
out ive days a week during shooting. And all year he all, he’s only flesh and
stays on a diet he calls “consistently moderate.” When blood—and 44 years
old. “We’re shying away
from bodybuilding-
a week of running and weight training. His goal is not style workouts,” says
to get bigger but to delay aging. His previous Men’s his trainer, Adam
Health cover was in 2007, after a couple of X-Men Nicklas, N.A.S.M.

SAFEGUARD
career and a tumultuous personal life (now steadied prince in Enchanted. (For this cover, he admits that YOUR SHOULDERS
and satisfying). He pinballs from stories of penis he restricted his diet for 11 days.) WITH PUSHUPS
He’s not a robot!
socks to musings on love and loss, and throws in a Marsden calls exercise the “cheapest antidepres-
Marsden has cranky
spot-on Ron Burgundy impression for good measure. sant ever.” He’s done half marathons and triathlons shoulders, so you’ll
It’s clear that an intelligent sense of humor has and broken 20 minutes in a 5K. But he acknowledges rarely see him bench-
served Marsden well in his career, now at the quarter- that he may sometimes go too far: “When I’m in really pressing. Instead, he
century mark and humming along nicely. His good cardiovascular shape, people think I’m not builds his chest and
shoulders with a mix
Westworld character—a seemingly good guy with a well. They look at me like, ‘You need to eat something,’ of pushups. You can
secret—has “died” several times at the malevolent because I do get thin and gaunt sometimes.” do two of his usual
bemusement park where his robot “lives.” He’ll die Hence the weight training and, yes, some carbs. variations anywhere.
some more, no doubt. He may or may not end up with “We are going a little overboard with the shrink-wrap First, assume a pushup
position, lower your
Dolores, and his past could remain a mystery for sev- thing. We dehydrate the shit out of ourselves to keep
torso until it’s 2 inches
eral seasons if the popularity of the show continues. carbs out of our system so we can have a 14-pack,” from the floor, hold for
After having so many bullets and knives pierce his he says. “It’s getting out of control. It doesn’t look 5 seconds, then press
faux skin, Marsden knows what it takes to get through healthy. I will never do that.” back up. Aim for 3 sets
the bleak world his character inhabits. Today, in a mismatched track suit, his shaggy hair of 10 reps. Then place
your feet on a bench
“It makes us look at behavior, and we see some very protruding from a baseball cap, he looks like a cross and do pushups. As
dark behavior on this show,” Marsden says. “I have to between a friendly gentleman and a vulnerable jock. you lower your chest,
wash it of afterward, and then physically I have to wash He ofers his hand as we cross a barrier to sit down at a lift your left leg and
it of to get the blood out of my ears and body oriices. picnic table. “You warm enough?” he asks. “I like the drive your knee toward
your left elbow. Aim for
You just have to learn to roll with the craziness.” cold. But you can have my jacket.”
3 sets of 10, alternating
Cue Ron Burgundy. Marsden and his costar, Evan Much like his Westworld character, Marsden is knees as you go.
Rachel Wood (that’s Dolores), try to retain some well-intentioned yet imperfect, his idealism some-
sanity on the set with laughter, pretending they’re in times undone by emotion. He’s a social type, but he SHIRT
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MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 101

 SHIRT
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PROTECT
YOUR BACK
WITH PLANKS
Marsden has no back
trouble, and Nicklas
wants to keep it that
way. That’s why Mars-
den’s routine includes
plenty of planks. Try
doing a 30-second
forearm plank, then
immediately shift
into a right-side plank.
Hold for another 30
seconds, and then
return to the forearm
plank. Repeat on the
“I wasn’t your prototypical anything,” Marsden whatever reason,” he says. He landed on TV, eventu-
left side. Do 3 sets like says. “I didn’t care about how I dressed. I wasn’t voted ally with a role on ABC’s Second Noah, and okay ine,
that and you’ll do more most likely to succeed; I wasn’t prom king or the cap- spent one afternoon posing in Versace clothes for a
than just build a six- tain of the football team. I wasn’t the popular kid.” four-page spread.
pack. “It’ll strengthen
When Marsden was about 9 years old, his parents Since then, Marsden has been swooned and ogled
your inner ab muscles
and stabilize your split up. He and his two brothers and a sister lived over in such diverse roles as Cyclops, John F. Kennedy
spine,” says Nicklas. mainly with his mother in Oklahoma. His father saw in The Butler, and Rachel McAdams’s iancé in The
them part-time. “I guess I was good at compartmen- Notebook. Westworld, based on the 1973 Michael
SPARE YOUR
KNEES & ANKLES
talizing when I was young,” he says now, a realization
WITH BULGARIAN he reached in adulthood after some therapy. “What- VISIT WESTWORLD, MINUS THE GUNPLAY
SPLIT SQUATS ever life dealt me, I dealt with it. Then you realize when Want full immersion in STAY at the Sorrel River
The barbell squat may
you’re older that it was a sort of defense mechanism. I Westworld’s iconic landscapes? Ranch Resort and Spa if you’re
be the gold standard Head to the Four Corners region, a tenderfoot, but the area is full
of leg exercises, but was a kid trying not to be scared of something and deal
where Utah, Colorado, Arizona, of campgrounds on public land,
it puts demands on with it in a way, maybe not the best way, but the only New Mexico, and redrock from spectacular Canyonlands
your knees and ankles. way I was capable of at that age.” beauty converge. It’s a utopia National Park to state parks,
That’s why Marsden In his early teens, a drama class gave him coni- for hiking, biking, climbing, national forests, and Bureau of
trains his legs with and all manner of loating, Land Management areas.
Bulgarian split squats
dence and a new passion. “It wasn’t until my senior from calm-water kayaking to
instead. He’ll hold year that girls started going, ‘Where did he come whitewater rafting. There’s even DETOUR Drive to Durango,
15 pounds in each hand from?’ And I looked in the mirror and said the same skydiving and paragliding. Colorado, which still has an
Here’s a possible itinerary. authentic Old West vibe, and
and do 8 to 12 reps. thing to myself, like, ‘Whoa, yeah. Who are you?
Then he’ll immediately GO to Moab, Utah. Head north- take the narrow-gauge railway
You’ve got balls now, and a personality. You have an east along the Colorado River on to Silverton. Teddy Flood would
lie on a decline bench
and do situps, tossing identity.’ I’m grateful for inding the stage and a place Route 128. Producers put a train feel right at home. Then day-
to feel like, ‘Oh, you are inally good at something.’” car on a latbed truck to ilm new trip to Mesa Verde National
a medicine ball back
arrivals. You’ll pass Castle Val- Park to explore the ancient clif
and forth with Nicklas. After some modeling (JCPenney ads in the Sunday ley and recognize the dramatic dwellings of ancestral Pueblo
Finally, he’ll follow that paper) and some college (three semesters), Marsden mesas and buttes seen onscreen. people. The entire region is
with a 1-minute run. West of town of Route 313 is laced with primo hiking and
Do that circuit 3 times
moved to Los Angeles at the age of 19. He did not, as
Dead Horse Point State Park, mountain-biking trails, and
for a killer light-speed the Internet claims, begin his career as a Versace where ilm trickery sites the you won’t have to worry about
leg session. model. “Everyone thinks I was a famous model for Westworld control center. any rogue robots.

102 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

 Crichton ilm, revolves around a violent, erotic theme Marsden. They grew into two diferent people, he says, CAN YOU
park populated by android “hosts” like Marsden’s and drifted apart. He had a third child, William Luca, MASTER
MARSDEN’S
Teddy. The park’s guests pay to hang out with rage- with Rose Costa, born after the divorce. BODY-WEIGHT
illed gunslingers and sexy saloon girls amid lots of The divorce was necessary for growth, he says now. BLAST?
bloodshed, sexual violence, and death. “It’s sad and heartbreaking,” he says. “But this time No gym, no problem
for Marsden. The
He takes his craft seriously—to a point. “You do I went through it and didn’t avoid it, like my parents’
ex-X-Man recently
want to be great,” he says. “You want to afect people, divorce, and that’s vital too. I was separating not bought a pullup and
but I don’t always come home from work thinking, only from my wife but also my kids and the bonds of dip station for his
‘Wow, I really nailed that scene today.’ I can be hard on home and family. Those are things you’re painfully house, so he’ll often
sneak in a body-
myself. I have to train myself to stop being cerebral reminded of every day. It’s like, shit, what lesson is
weight burner when
about it. To stop overthinking it. Sometimes I go this? What’s to come from this?” he doesn’t feel like
home thinking, ‘Ah, am I a fraud?’” One thing to come of it: a close if unconventional pumping iron. His
Marsden leans in, pausing. “The people who are family unit. “I’m very lucky,” Marsden says. His go-to workout is a
like, ‘Oh, that was great. I’m the best,’ are usually the ex-wife, his kids, and his current girlfriend, 29-year- simple circuit from
Nicklas that you can
ones who aren’t. Unless you’re Kanye West. I wish I old U.K. pop singer Edei (a.k.a. Emma Deigman) all do almost anywhere:
could be that conident about myself. I wish I could go on vacation together. “Someone on the outside
think like him, telling myself I’m awesome all day looking in is like what is this weird, hippie-dippy 5 pullups
long. I wasn’t raised that way, or to think or speak that commune?” he says, laughing. 10 pushups
15 squats
way. But it’s impressive.” That works? “When you have people who care about
Beneath his openness and wit, there’s sadness. His each other and care about these kids and just want to Complete 10 rounds
wife iled for divorce in 2011; he said it was “by far the give love, how can you not welcome that?” of that circuit, resting
hardest thing. I love her,” he says. “I did say to myself, Marsden credits Linde for teaching him how to as needed. Keep
‘Oh my god, am I repeating what my parents did?’ You parent. “A lot of shit went well for me my whole life track of your time.
Marsden’s best: 6:53.
know, you don’t want to feel like it’s a failure.” and came easy to me. Being a white male, you’re born
After 11 years of marriage, Lisa Linde, the mother with certain unearned privileges. My life hasn’t
of his two children, Jack and Mary, iled for divorce. been illed with sorrow and deep struggle. When the
The two began their relationship when they were in divorce happened, it was the irst time I felt I lost my
their early 20s—“really young,” according to equilibrium. It was scary and «C O N T I N U E D O N P. 1 3 8

“A lot went well for

me my whole life and
came easy to me.
When the divorce
happened, it was the
first time I felt I lost
my equilibrium.”
SEX THERE’S A REASON VACATION SEX IS SO GOOD—
AT LEAST SIX OF THEM, ACTUALLY.
NOW BRING THAT EXCITEMENT HOME EVERY DAY.
BY ANNE RODERIQUE-JONES

DRIVE
I
C A N AT T R I B U T E M Y H A P P Y M A R R I A G E T O A
disastrous train ride in France. Or the time we sank
our rental car in a muddy river in Costa Rica. Or that
light on a Mexican airline that went out of business
while we were in the air, stranding us in Acapulco.
These weren’t failures—they were experiences.
Traveling with a partner can lead to some great memories,
many with an R rating—or at least a rom-com glow. This isn’t
misty-eyed conjecture. A U.S. Travel Association survey con-
irms that vacations can strengthen relationships, help couples
communicate, and reduce the odds of divorce. Escaping from
work, laundry, and kids is liberating. Add in mountain views or
salt air, and new sensations help “bring you into your body,” says
relationship coach Celeste Hirschman. It all aids sexual arousal.
Your brain loves to travel. “Variety, surprise, and adventure
open up the dopamine response in the brain,” says sex coach Patti
Britton. That low of feel-good hormones brings a sense of excite-
ment. “Most couples lose that over time,” she says.
These trips stand out for me and Nate. No need to copy them
exactly; use them as inspiration. With a little planning and imag-
ination, you won’t need a lot of money—or, in some cases, clothes.

MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 105

 2 SEXY
SEQUEL

1
PURPOSE
Recapturing romance

THE GETAWAY

ISLAND
Wherever you went (or dreamed
of going) for your honeymoon

ESCAPE Nate and I spent our honeymoon

PURPOSE
Fulfilling a fantasy
THE GETAWAY
Hawaii
I know, I know: cliché alert! But
the connection between beaches,
sex, and romance should come as
no surprise. For one thing, ocean
environments make us feel good.
Research from 2017 suggests that
exposure to such “blue spaces”
may have mental and physical ben-
efits. And then there’s all that skin.
That’s probably why Hawaii is such
a popular honeymoon destination—
it’s straight-up paradise. On a
recent trip to Kauai, Nate surprised
me by renting a convertible, some-
thing I never imagined us driving in
our “real” life. Our top-down explo-
ration included roadside coconuts,
poke picnics, shave ice, and cool-
ing swims. We even took a surfing
lesson. By evening, we drank wine
on the lanai and googled real
estate we couldn’t afford.
THE TAKEAWAY Sensory overload.
As beautiful as Hawaii looks, its
smells and sounds are equally
astounding. “Changing your
sensory input can be quite stim-
ulating,” Britton says, especially
if your home base is a city like, say,
Chicago. Flowers, salty ocean
air, and crashing surf combine to
create pure bliss. As for visual
stimuli, watching water droplets
tracing her curves on the beach
can make your mind wander to
the fun times you will have back at
the hotel room, says psychologist
Benna Strober, Psy.D.
DO IT YOURSELF Visit Bermuda for
its fine beaches and easy access
from the East Coast. There’s also
Florida, Cabo San Lucas, and Big
at a Mexican resort, swilling
Tecate and applying moisturizer
to each other’s sun-seared skin.
When we returned years later,
not much had changed—but we
had. I brought the same bikini
(still fit!) and Nate packed his
beloved Royals visor so we could
redo some photographs. But we Taking
realized that time had made us
more in tune with each other. We in a new
took naps, read books, swam in
our private pool, and spent hours
view can be
reminiscing at dinner. It was more stimulating
romantic than our honeymoon.
And no sunburn.
for both
THE TAKEAWAY New appreciation.
of you.
Visiting a faraway place, especially
on a honeymoon, can be stressful.
When you go back, many of the
stresses are gone. “You know your
way around,” says Art Markman,
Ph.D., a professor of psychology
at the University of Texas at Austin.
“Plus, you get to share the joy of
thinking about how young and
clueless you were the first time.”
DO IT YOURSELF Can’t swing a
return trip? Try a low-cost alterna-
tive, like the hotel you stayed in on
your wedding night. If you went to
Mexico, try a Mexican restaurant.
France? Watch a French movie
with a nice Bordeaux and good
cheese. It’s about memories, men.
Most weekdays Nate and I are in THE TAKEAWAY A new you. One
Monroe Alvarez/TheLicensingProject.com (previous), Antonio Terron/Trunk Archive (this page)
bed by 10 p.m.—after Jeopardy! cure for monotony: “Give yourself
and Family Feud. Hot, right? The permission to let loose and fanta-
rules changed when we lost our size about being someone else,”
Vegas virginity. Research shows says Strober. Role-playing shows
that couples who share novel and that you trust your partner with
arousing activities—as opposed your deepest fantasies, she says.
to mundane pursuits like watching That vulnerability can boost your
game shows—see a boost in relationship—and sex life.
relationship quality. We stayed at
the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, in DO IT YOURSELF Slip on a sport
a room overlooking the fountains coat and play James Bond in

3 THE NEW
Sur. To travel in style, splurge at the
car rental agency or use a longer-
term service such as Swapalease,
which lets you lease a fancy car
(BMW, Maserati, Ferrari, Porsche)
for as little as four months at rates
as low as $450 a month. Or get
two other couples to split the cost
of a small private jet from Private
Jet Services (starting at $5,000 or
so per hour of air time).
and the Strip. Our suite had a
velvet sofa and a Japanese soaking
tub for two. Tempting. But Vegas
IDENTITY has a way of pulling you out of your
comfort zone and your fancy hotel.
We drank cocktails at breakfast
and umbrella drinks in a cabana
PURPOSE
by the pool. I wore short dresses
Playing a role
and a skimpy bikini and we danced
THE GETAWAY until dawn. The next day, we slept
Vegas, baby! past Wheel of Fortune.
San Juan, Puerto Rico, home to
a sophisticated cocktail scene,
nightlife, and gambling—no pass-
port required. Affordable alterna-
tives? Reno and Atlantic City. Or
role-play locally: Talk about your
turn-ons and settle on a scenario.
(Into taboos? Pretend you’re
cheating lovers.) Agree on a signal
to alert each other if one of you
needs a break, says Hirschman.

106 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 CAROLINE TOMLINSON

4
and I spent our mornings in bed,

TIMELESS our afternoons sipping mojitos

in leafy courtyards, and our
evenings dancing until we were

TRAVEL soaked in sweat. My lingering

PURPOSE
Unplugging
THE GETAWAY
Havana
The average iPhone user unlocks
the device 80 times a day. In 2016,
according to one report, Android
users clicked, swiped, or tapped
a screen 2,600-plus times a day.
(Touch your partner that often?)
In Cuba, Internet access is scarce.
But trust me: In Havana you don’t
need Instagram. With the music,
the cocktails, and the steamy heat,
this city radiates sexiness. Nate
mental gif: zipping around in the
backseat of a classic car, my hair
blowing in the warm wind, and my
husband looking at me with a big
smile. Didn't need a photo.
THE TAKEAWAY Focused
connection. Put down the phone
to solidify your relationship:
“Technoference” is a term from a
study that found that seven in 10
people see phones as interrupting
or getting in the way of interac-
tions with their mate (like texting Rachel Sussman, L.C.S.W. You’ll be digital detox program or a hotel
while talking). When it happens reminded of the early days, when like Rancho La Puerta in Baja,
often, relationship satisfaction you two were young, carefree, and California, which doesn’t allow
drops. Without your phone, you getting to know each other. cellphone use in public areas. Or,
relax into your partner’s company DO IT YOURSELF Go camping far you know, leave your phones
and reconnect, says therapist from cellphone reach; seek out a in your hotel safe.

“THAT WILD SIDE

5
OF YOU MAY SPICE
bands. My music-geek husband
THINGS UP AND HELP
ROAD was in heaven. While I’m more of a
Beyoncé gal, nothing thrilled me
more than hitting the road with no
HER SEE YOU IN A
TRIP! expectations.
THE TAKEAWAY Adventure, con-

PURPOSE
versation, the unknown. “Being
spontaneous with your partner
DIFFERENT LIGHT.”
Cutting loose, with tunes and hitting the road at a moment’s
THE GETAWAY notice can bring out your playful
Mississippi Blues Trail side,” Strober says. A road trip
is authentic and can be full of
traveling together improved

When our planned anniversary
trip fell through because of a
last-minute flight cancellation,
it was too late and too pricey to
rebook. So we packed a bag and
hit the trail—specifically, the
Mississippi Blues Trail. We started
at the beautiful beaches of Bay St.
Louis, Mississippi, and drove up
to Jackson. But one of the coolest
towns was Clarksdale, home of
the blues—and the Delta Blues
Museum. We ducked into Red’s
juke joint, a hole in the wall where
locals and tourists sip bourbon
from plastic cups and listen to live
surprises. Plus, music cities are
made for dancing: “That wild side
of yours might be just what the
doctor ordered to spice up your
relationship and make her look
at you in a different light.”
DO IT YOURSELF New Orleans,
Nashville, Austin, and Seattle.
Want a private dance? Back at
the hotel, let her pick a song and
take turns slowly unbuttoning or
slipping off each other’s clothes
as you dance together, says
Perry. “Tell her you love the way
she dances,” suggests Hirschman.
Then enjoy the view.
6
THE EYE
OPENER
PURPOSE
A new perspective
THE GETAWAY
A boutique cruise
I’ll never erase the image of my
husband rubbing aloe on 70-year-
old Phyllis’s shoulders during a
seven-day cruise to Mexico. Sure,
he’s in the medical field, but it was
the sweet gesture that turned my
insides to mush. Now, we’re not
into cruises. But this was different:
a small ship (less than 100 people,
not thousands) that could reach
nooks and crannies in the Sea of
Cortés. No dressing up for dinner,
lots of drinking and talking. We
snorkeled, paddleboarded, and
swam with sea lions. Everyone
else was over 65, but check your
prejudices: We learned tons about
life and love—and ourselves—
chatting with them. Every one
of those couples stressed that
their marriage. The best part?
Teaching them to play Cards
Against Humanity. They may have
taught us about lasting relation-
ships (laughing together helps),
but only we could explain the
“assless chaps” card.
THE TAKEAWAY An open mind.
New settings can reveal sides of
your partner you never noticed
before, says Markman. And lose
your bias against group travel.
Sure, it’s not your usual crowd,
but there’s a good chance you’ll
make unexpected friends too.
“Meeting new people and getting
to know them is almost always an
overwhelmingly positive expe-
rience,” Markman says. “That
good feeling then expands to
the relationship itself as couples
build new memories together
that strengthen their foundation.”
DO IT YOURSELF Island Wind-
jammers, Star Clippers, Mississippi
cruises with American Cruise
Lines, an evening sunset cruise
near your hometown. To book
a cruise like the one we went on,
go to uncruise.com.

MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 107

 12

1 The Ratatouille Royale

BASE Onion roll
PROTEIN 3 oz fresh mozzarella
cheese, sliced
FIXINGS Thick schmear of kala-
mata olive tapenade; grilled
slices of eggplant, yellow
squash, and zucchini, brushed
with olive oil; fresh tomato
slices; fresh basil leaves
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMIE CHUNG

683 calories, 27g protein,

42g carbs (9g fiber), 46g fat 108
The Tuna Special
BASE Whole wheat toast
PROTEIN 3.35 oz good
quality jarred tuna (like
Tonnino) in olive oil, drained
of all but 1 Tbsp oil. Mix with
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley,
1 Tbsp minced shallot, the
juice of ½ lemon, 1 Tbsp white
wine vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon, 1
Tbsp chopped capers, and
lots of fresh pepper.
FIXINGS Lettuce and
tomato, if you want
464 calories, 33g protein,
29g carbs (5g fiber), 24g fat
 Ground Lamb Pita
BASE Whole wheat pita
PROTEIN 4 oz ground lamb,
seasoned with oregano,
garlic, rosemary, and black
pepper; sauté till browned.
FIXINGS Chopped toma-
toes, lettuce, and cucum-
bers; tzatziki sauce
504 calories, 35g protein,
31g carbs (5g fiber), 26g fat

INSTANT UPGRADES FOR ANY SANDWICH

1 All hail aioli!
“Aioli is just a fancy word
for mayonnaise,” says
Nick Hertel, executive
chef of Merchants in
Nashville, where they
make it from scratch.
Here are a few of his favor-
ites. (Don’t measure—
simply add ingredients
to taste as you go.)
BASIL AIOLI
mayo + fresh chopped
basil + lemon zest +
grated Parmesan
‘SECRET SAUCE’ AIOLI
mayo + red pepper
jam + chopped corni-
chons + whole grain
mustard + celery salt +
fresh thyme leaves
SPICY RANCH AIOLI wrapped in prosciutto, 3. A cast-iron skillet.
Mayo + sambal olek + sizzled in a pan, and Heat it on medium. Place
Tabasco + buttermilk + added to a sandwich. one slice into the pan,
crème fraiche + fresh buttered side down. Build
parsley, chives, and 3 Grill it your sandwich. Add the
dill + lemon zest + salt + A great grilled sandwich, other slice, buttered side
pepper cheese-based or not, up. Flip when the bottom
requires three critical is golden brown.
2 Pair your proteins things, says Ryan Poli,
Josiah Citrin, executive head chef at Nashville’s 4 Embrace open face
chef of Charcoal Catbird Seat. You’ll cut carbs and taste
Venice in L.A., prefers 1. Multigrain bread. Its more of the other stuff.
his tuna salad with a structural integrity allows Citrin suggests crushing
little egg salad mixed for slower crisping than, some avocado into the
in. “Combining different say, flimsy white bread. bread to act as an epoxy
proteins adds complex- 2. A serrated knife. Use for toppings (thinly sliced
ity, flavor, and texture,” it to slice your bread cukes, chopped sun-
he says. This is why roast about ½" thick. Any dried tomatoes, cheese).
turkey tastes so great thicker makes warming “Then finish the sandwich
when it’s stacked with the sandwich’s insides with lettuce or arugula
crispy bacon. The same more difficult. Butter one so the ingredients don’t
goes for a chicken cutlet side of each piece. slide around,” he says.

For starters, we used whole proteins instead of deli meat. That way you’re eating fewer
additives, or none at all. Then we made sure each sandwich included at least one serving
WHAT MAKES of produce beyond that lame lettuce leaf. Finally, we wanted 30 grams of satisfying
A “BEST” protein per sandwich. For the options that fell short, we pumped up the produce and
SANDWICH? fiber. Use the same three rules to build healthy sandwiches on your own.
 5
Grilled Calamari Banh Mi
BASE Small baguette
PROTEIN 4 oz grilled calamari
FIXINGS Mayo; pickled sliced
carrots; sliced jalapeño,
cucumber, and tomato; fresh
cilantro leaves
562 calories, 26g protein,
57g carbs (7g fiber), 24g fat

4 Buffalo Chicken Stacker

BASE
PROTEIN
Potato roll
4 oz ground chicken plus 2
Tbsp minced onion; add Buffalo sauce
to taste. Shape into a patty and sear in
a lightly oiled pan until cooked through.
FIXINGS Blue cheese, celery leaves
541 calories, 29g protein, 40g carbs
(2g fiber), 29g fat

7
The Pork ‘n’ Provolone
BASE Ciabatta roll
PROTEIN 4 oz pork tenderloin covered in Italian
spices. Sear and roast to medium; slice thinly.
FIXINGS Roasted red pepper strips, pepperoncini
rings, provolone cheese, sautéed broccoli rabe
451 calories, 41g protein, 44g carbs (2g fiber), 11g fat

6
The Big Kahuna
BASE King’s Hawaiian roll, split
and lightly toasted
PROTEIN 3 oz ahi tuna; sear and
slice thinly.
FIXINGS Squirt of Kewpie mayo
Food styling: Jamie Kimm

mixed with a dab of wasabi, 1 seared

pineapple ring, and a handful of
mizuna dressed with lemon juice
331 calories, 20g protein, 42g carbs
(4g fiber), 10g fat

MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 111

 9
The Turkey Cuban
BASE Cuban bread or soft Italian bread
PROTEIN 4 oz turkey cutlets, seasoned with
garlic, cumin, and lime juice; pan-fry in olive oil.
FIXINGS Sliced Swiss cheese on both halves,
dill pickles (spears or slices), yellow mustard on
both halves; press it as a panini.
547 calories, 48g protein, 25g carbs (2g fiber), 28g fat

8
Salmon Benedict
BASE Split English muffin half, toasted
PROTEIN 3 oz baked smoked salmon, flaked;
1 poached egg
FIXINGS Sautéed spinach, blender hollandaise*
*In a blender, add 1 egg yolk, 1½ tsp lemon juice,
a big pinch of salt, and a small pinch of cayenne.
With the motor running, gradually add 2 oz melted
butter till emulsified. Let sit for a minute to firm.
722 calories, 29g protein, 15g carbs (1g fiber),
61g fat

11
The Steak Pizzaiola
BASE Square of warmed focaccia
PROTEIN 4 oz rib eye, seared
lightly and finished cooking in ½
cup chunky marinara; slice thinly.
FIXINGS Sautéed onions and
peppers, crushed red pepper
flakes, fresh parsley
577 calories, 35g protein,
55g carbs (5g fiber), 21g fat

10
Shrimp Roll
BASE Split-top hot dog bun,
lightly buttered and toasted
PROTEIN 4 oz chopped cooked
shrimp. Add 2 Tbsp mayo, lemon
juice, celery, salt, and pepper.
FIXINGS Bibb lettuce leaf,
minced chives
488 calories, 30g protein,
23g carbs (1g fiber), 29g fat

112 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

 The Feta-and-Peas
Smash
BASE 2 slices toasted
sourdough, rubbed with garlic
PROTEIN ⅔ cup green peas
mashed with salt, pepper,
lemon juice, and lemon zest
FIXINGS 2 Tbsp crumbled
feta, fresh dill sprigs, drizzle
of olive oil
560 calories, 23g protein,
87g carbs (8g fiber), 14g fat

THE
SANDWICH
DIET
Replace two or
three fast-food
feeds with the
sandwiches on
these pages for a
healthier week of
eating. “By loading
up your typical
greasy or fried lunch
with protein, fiber,
and/or quality fat,
you’re fueling your
body for mental and
physical energy to
maximize perfor-
mance on and off
the job. And by
swapping drive-thru
options for quality
grub, you’re giving
your body what it
needs,” says Mohr
Results cofounder
Chris Mohr, Ph.D.
 IN THE NEW SCIENCE OF AWE, RESEARCHERS ARE FINDING
THAT REGULARLY EXPERIENCING A SENSE OF WONDER
MAY BOOST IMMUNITY, LOWER STRESS, FIGHT INFLAMMATION,
AND EVEN ENHANCE WELL-BEING.

114 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 /// PHOTOGRAPH BY J HEROUN

WHY YOU NEED TO START
BLOWING YOUR MIND
MORE OFTEN.
By Michael Behar

115
LAST AUGUST 21 AT 4:30am,
I ROUSED MY 7-YEAR-OLD SON,
Simon, from his bed in a creaky hotel in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In a few
hours, a rare solar eclipse would occur. Dawn revealed a brilliant blue sky,
promising a clear view of totality. Simon was thrilled; I felt indiferent.
Neither of us had ever witnessed an eclipse. But my expectations were
tempered. I’d been to Machu Picchu, Victoria Falls, the Himalayas.
An eclipse is a mere two minutes of solar showmanship. Big whoop.
We scouted all morning for David Bryce Yaden, Ph.D.(c), emotions are associated with
the perfect viewpoint, driving a research fellow at the Uni- the blood protein interleukin-
pockmarked jeep roads before versity of Pennsylvania who 6 (or IL-6), a common indica-
settling atop 6,400-foot Prai- studies brain responses to tor of inlammation.
rie Dog Hill. Wearing protec- transcendent experiences. Stellar evaluated seven
tive glasses at irst, we watched The ocean, the Grand Canyon, emotions—joy, love, pride, stress tend to have higher
the sun become a black disk, a and the Milky Way engage amusement, compassion, con- levels of inlammation in
void in the heavens. Yellow ten- the perpetual form, which tentment, and awe. Partici- their immune system; but
drils danced along its circum- is largely visual and nature- pants completed a survey on John-Henderson’s research
ference. A starry night sky based, he explains. Stirring how often and intensely they found that people who expe-
appeared—even though it was TED Talks, music, and art experienced these emotions. rienced more awe had lower
11:44 a.m. Crickets started kindle the conceptual variety, Then Stellar collected saliva levels, perhaps because awe
chirping, and then a crimson which is more cerebral and samples to determine their enables you to view stress from
glow swept the horizon, creat- subjective to the person experi- IL-6 levels. She found that peo- a healthier perspective.
ing the startling illusion of a encing it. Both blow your mind, ple who reported feeling more Not only can awe be used to
360-degree sunrise. but in very diferent ways. awe had lower levels of IL-6. proactively manage stress, but
“Oh my goshhh!” Simon And here’s the best part: This was the irst evidence it can also help depressurize
yelled. “Oh, wow! Wow!” Awe is not only mentally invig- of a potential biological path- you during anxious times; in
Witnessing my child’s pure orating but also appears to way between awe and reduced fact, says John-Henderson,
and unmitigated elation ended be physiologically beneicial. inlammation. And of those that’s when it may have the
my indiference, as did this Research shows that it may seven emotions, awe was the most anxiety-reducing beneit.
cosmic spectacle that seemed lower your risk of inlam- strongest predictor of lower Feeling stressed? Take a break
to slow time. I was simultane- mation, ease stress, aid your levels of IL-6. Stellar is now and do one of the things listed
ously energized, intellectually immunity, enhance your tracking IL-6 in real time with in “One Totally Awesome
aroused, and overcome with well-being, and even improve people in the midst of awe- Week” at the end of this article.
unbounded optimism—as if your marriage. Compared inspiring moments.
life had suddenly revealed its with toiling away on a tread- AWE INSPIRES CREATIVITY
ininite potential. There were mill or choking down kale, feel- AWE LOWERS STRESS Melanie Rudd, Ph.D., an assis-
about a dozen other onlookers ing awe is an easy and fun way AND AFFECTS IMMUNITY tant professor of marketing
nearby, and I had the inex- to improve your mental and Every morning as Neha at the University of Hous-
plicable urge to hug each and physical health. Here’s how it John-Henderson, Ph.D., com- ton, has done research in the
every one of them. Nothing had does all that, and how to use mutes to work, she makes a Swiss Alps. There she put her
ever made me feel like this. it to make your health—and special efort to appreciate volunteers either in a parking
It was awesome. entire life—more awesome. the stunning mountain scen- lot, which she describes as a
Scientists have been study- ery. An assistant professor of “low-awe condition” (duh), or on
ing the efects of awe for some AWE MAY REDUCE INFLAMMATION psychology at Montana State a mountain summit, a “high-
Zhao Hanrong Xinhua/eyevine/Redux (crowd)

time. In 2003, psychologists
Dacher Keltner and Jonathan
Haidt deined the emotion as
being somewhere between
“the upper reaches of pleasure
and...the boundary of fear.”
“Awe is triggered by the per-
ception of either perpetual
or conceptual vastness,” says
Chronic inlammation in the University in Bozeman, she awe condition with this glori-
body is associated with many studies the inluence of stress ous panoramic landscape.” She
illnesses, including cardio- on human immunity. And provided ample time for each
vascular disease, arthritis, she’s learned that the awe she group to take in the views and
diabetes, cancer, and Alzhei- experiences may afect how complete a short survey. Then
mer’s. In 2015, Jennifer Stellar, likely she is to become ill. she ofered a choice of thank-
Ph.D., an assistant professor of The reason, once again, you gifts: a bag of prepackaged
psychology at the University of is inlammation. People trail mix or a creative chance to
Toronto, analyzed how various who report high levels of make their own using the same

116 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018


fruit and nut selections. Those
who’d ridden the gondola up
the mountain overwhelmingly
chose the do-it-yourself option.
Rudd later reinforced
these indings by showing
TV commercials that were
either happy, neutral, or
awe-inspiring (with images
of waterfalls, whales, and
astronauts in space) to another
set of volunteers. “Then we
asked if they wanted a coupon
to buy premade chocolates
for a loved one for Valentine’s
Day, or a recipe to make the
chocolates themselves,” she
says. Those who viewed the
awe-inspiring commercial
were more inclined to embrace
their inner chocolatier.
So what’s going on here?
Rudd showed that the expe-
rience of awe shakes our
conidence in our existing
knowledge and makes us more
motivated to learn. And what
do we do with this desire to
NASA (astronaut), courtesy Andrew Newberg, M.D. (brain scans)
learn? As her indings indi-
cate, we make stuf. “Awe can
enhance people’s openness
to learning, and as a conse-
quence they want to create,”
she says.
AWE MAY LIFT YOUR MOOD
More than 21 percent of Amer-
ican adults will experience a
mood disorder at some point
in their lives. New science sug-
IT ECLIPSES YOU
Experts define awe
as an emotion that
exists between “the
upper reaches of
pleasure and...the
boundary of fear.”
gests that regularly experienc-
ing awe might provide a potent
boost to your mood and sense
of well-being.
Last year, researchers
scanned the brains of attend-
ees at a weeklong spiritual
retreat where they were
expected to have many awe-
inducing experiences. Scans
from before and right after
the event suggested signii-
cant changes in the function
of serotonin and dopamine,
neurotransmitters that are
part of the brain’s reward and
emotional systems.
Other studies have found
changes in the autonomic
nervous system that connects
the brain and body. Normally,
the sympathetic (arousal) sys-
tem and the parasympathetic
(quiescent) system are yin and
yang; when one rises, the other
falls, maintaining your body’s
overall equilibrium. But that
all changes with awe, because
1
« “The parietal lobe [ 1], in the upper
back part of the brain, tends to
2 and experiencing awe,” says Dr.
« sights and sounds, to establish our
these two systems seem to ele-
vate simultaneously.
“So you not only have this
incredible rush of energy and
joy,” explains study coauthor
Andrew Newberg, M.D., a
neuroscientist at Thomas Jef-
ferson University, “but also a
tremendous sense of calmness
and bliss.” The feeling of con-
nectedness that awe induces
is another possible mood lifter,
adds Yaden, who was also
involved in the research.
AWE EVOKES SPIRITUALITY
Loads of scientiic evidence
trumpets the health beneits
of spirituality—churchgoers
live longer, it can enhance
mental health, and it has been
associated with better self-
reported physical health in
cancer patients. Some doctors
credit the placebo efect: If
you’re convinced that your god
has healing powers, then so is
your immune system, which
responds accordingly by get-
ting you well. But you don’t
have to be born again to enjoy
the beneits of spirituality.
Several studies illustrate that
awe can produce spiritual or
religious-type experiences.
In a series of experiments,
Piercarlo Valdesolo, Ph.D., an
associate professor of psychol-
ogy at Claremont McKenna
College in California, played
clips from the BBC’s Planet
Earth to people who were later
questioned about their beliefs
on two competing evolu-
tionary theories. One theory
emphasized the role of ran-
domness in natural selection; SPACED OUT
This view makes
the other depicted evolution astronauts kinder
as and more patient.
«C O N T I N U E D O N PAG E 1 3 9
What a blown mind looks like
Brain scans show what happens when you experience awesome.
world. At the same time, the
limbic system becomes more
shut down while you’re meditating active [ 2], Dr. Newberg says,
eliciting a very intense energy or
Newberg. This region is where we arousal. “This helps release
contextualize perceptions, like dopamine, a feel-good molecule,
sense of self in relation to the
in the brain. It creates a feeling
of oneness with the universe.”
MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 117
 Y O U A R E N O T
ONE IN 20 BOYS WILL SUFFER SEXUAL ABUSE. THE AUTHOR,
WHO HAS ASKED TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS, WASN’T YET A TEENAGER
WHEN HE WAS RAPED BY HIS STEPMOTHER. HE’S STILL DEALING
WITH THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FALLOUT AS AN ADULT.
THE FIRST TIME I WAS SEXUALLY ABUSED by
Q my stepmother, I was 12. She and my father
weren’t married yet, but we were all staying
together in Boca Raton that night. We’d just gotten
home from dinner at a tropical-themed restaurant,
Bimini Bob’s, where I’d earned high score at the ring-
toss game while my dad watched, drinking more light
beers than usual. I knew it would be hard for him to
drive home, so from the backseat of our SUV, I leaned
forward to turn down the radio to help him focus on
the road.
As soon as we got home, my dad went upstairs,
leaving me alone in the kitchen with her. We talked
about my ring-toss skills; she was probably humoring
me. Then in her early 40s, she was a competitive per-
son, a successful businesswoman. She leaned against
the Formica island, her sandy blond hair done up in a
bulbous, frizzy ball.
As the conversation petered out, she hugged me—a
stronger one than usual. Naturally, I hugged her back.
Then, after a few seconds, she leaned out, looked at
me, and kissed me on the mouth. Her alcoholic breath
mingled with her perfume, sufocating me. The house
was dead quiet. I had no idea what to do. This was my
irst kiss. My arms were clenched, frozen by my side, so
she grabbed my hands and placed them on her chest,
moving them around. She asked if I liked it. I don’t
remember what I said.
She and I didn’t speak about what happened, but
it kept happening. Every few weeks, she would find
PHOTOGRAPHS BY BENEDICT EVANS
A L O N E
me alone, make out with me, encourage me, and then
chastise me. If your dad ever found out, she’d say, he’d
be furious. It was clear this was somehow my fault,
though I barely comprehended the reality of it all.
A few months after that irst encounter, she took my
virginity. It was nighttime at a shabby rental house
in the Keys, too early to sleep, but she and my dad had
been drinking and went to bed early.
Later I heard a sound outside my room, so I opened
the door to see what was going on. I saw her standing
in the doorway of the master bedroom. My siblings
weren’t around. She walked up to me and started kiss-
ing me, and then escalated things: She reached into
my pajamas and took out my penis. It was the irst time
she’d touched my genitals, and I didn’t understand
what was going on. She pulled aside her shorts, and,
still standing in the hallway, placed my erection inside
her. I stood there, feeling cold and bizarre. There was
nothing intimate about it; I don’t remember ejacu-
lating. After she’d had enough, I turned and silently
walked back to my room, utterly ashamed.
This continued for three years. Out in public, she
was my dad’s cool, hip girlfriend. She played up to
THE AUTHOR
me and my siblings, whispering that she was on our
(IN THE PHOTOS)
side, that she could convince our dad to do whatever SAYS SHARING
we wanted. She was fun. She wanted us to believe she HIS STORY IS PART
was our friend. OF HIS RECOVERY
AND HOPES IT CAN
My life went into a tailspin. I didn’t realize it at
HELP OTHER MEN
the time, but I’d slipped headfirst into depression. STRUGGLING WITH
I couldn’t focus on school and sometimes skipped THESE ISSUES.
MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 119
 whole days to stay at my biological mom’s house and
work on computer projects. As my grades plummeted,
I blamed myself for being stupid. By the end of seventh
grade, my teachers considered holding me back.
When I was in my early teens, my stepmother was
abusing me several times a year, usually when we were
alone in the Keys. I began avoiding these trips as much
as I could. By the time I turned 15, around the time she
became my stepmother, I started to understand more
of what was happening.
That’s when she began worrying about getting
caught, and the brutality of our relationship evolved
from sexual abuse to mental abuse, mean pranks, and
manipulation. When I bought new clothes for my job,
she “accidentally” poured bleach on them; she once
backed into my car in the driveway and claimed she
hadn’t seen it. She’d withhold money, her vise grip so
strong on my dad’s funds that while I was in college,
he had to take me grocery shopping in secret. When I
graduated, she handed me a card from the two of them
with cash inside. Then she told me my car payment
was due and grabbed the money back within seconds.
She justified all this to my father as “tough love,”
belittling my anxiety and stress and saying I needed
to be more of a man.
I wanted nothing to do with her, but I couldn’t bring
myself to tell anyone—not my father, not my siblings,
not my school friends, not my biological mother.
I learned to compartmentalize at an early age and
have been leading a double life ever since she first
kissed me: In public, I was always a normal boy, popu-
lar but shy with girls, into ilmmaking and computers.
Then, some nights, I believed myself a kind of adult,
hiding a cataclysmic secret. I couldn’t make sense of
it; I couldn’t even acknowledge it.
The mere thought of it paralyzed me with fear.
I T O L D H I M T H A T S H E
R A P E D M E D O Z E N S O F T I M E S .
I F L O O D E D T H E R O O M W I T H
120 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
NE IN 20 BOYS IN THE UNITED STATEs
O
will be sexually assaulted by age 18,
according to the Journal of Adoles-
cent Health. Research from 1990 to
1997 put estimates much higher, with
as many as one in six boys being the victim of sexual
abuse by the time they reach adulthood. In fact, the
preeminent outreach group for sexually abused boys
in the United States is called “1in6.” Yet the problem
remains “under reported, underrecognized, and
undertreated,” according to JAMA.
Behavioral problems resulting from sexual abuse
are immediately apparent. Victims are more likely
to be aggressive, abuse drugs and/or alcohol, and
attempt suicide. Males are uniquely conflicted and
less likely to speak out than females are. If the abuser
is male, the victim may not report the activity for fear
of being identified as homosexual. If the abuser is
female, the victim may fear that the abuse will be cul-
turally excused and that he should feel “privileged,”
not violated. Men are crudely congratulated for their
trauma, as summarized in a Chicago Tribune head-
line from 2015: “Victims of sexual abuse: Girls get our
sympathy; boys get high-ives.”
When I began researching my trauma, I was frus-
trated by the lack of resources. But the few studies
that do exist are illuminating. Researchers behind a
2008 study in the Journal of Counseling Psychology,
for example, say they had a much harder time getting
men to volunteer for their research on sexual abuse
than women. The stories from the 16 men who did
participate all felt instantly familiar to me. The men
compartmentalized their memories, didn’t know how
to tell their families, wanted to just forget it, or said
remaining silent seemed more “masculine.”
In my case, I shoved my adolescent memories aside
as soon as I moved out of the house. I became an edi-
tor at a national news company and was staunchly
independent, refusing help so I could keep control
over my life. I enjoyed healthy
romantic relationships that
lasted years, but I never allowed
my partners to be my equals.
I insisted on dominating the
dynamic; in retrospect, it’s
clear that I never wanted anyone to have control over
me. And as soon as those relationships started to feel
too serious, I found an excuse to tear it all down and
start again with someone new.
I rarely took time to think about my trauma. But
sometimes it still crept up, like the time we reported
on the story of Debra Lafave, a female teacher who had
sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old male student in
the summer of 2004. In the editing room, one of my
colleagues turned to me with a smirk: “Lucky kid.”

This mentality seeps into our legal system, which is
being increasingly recognized as ill-equipped to deal
with male victims of sexual assault. Abusive female
teachers, for example, frequently receive lighter sen-
tences, while young male victims see smaller awards
in court, according to L.A.-based lawyer David Ring,
who has defended clients of both genders in hundreds
of sexual assault trials. Likewise, male pedophiles
will be jailed exponentially longer than female pedo-
philes, who sometimes avoid prison altogether. (Hav-
ing pleaded guilty to two counts of lewd and lascivious
behavior, Lafave was sentenced to three years of house
arrest, followed by a seven-year probation.)
After all, some argue, what boy hasn’t fantasized
about his female teacher? How can it be called rape
if you ejaculated? What if the boy bragged about the
experience to his friends? These questions, frankly,
are irrelevant to sexual trauma—especially sexual
trauma involving a minor.
Y E A R S O F S H A M E A N D
E M B A R R A S S M E N T .
Some children show symptoms immediately, but
others appear asymptomatic until adulthood. For
me, both turned out to be true. Despite my middle-
school depression, I pulled my life together in my
late teens. But I gravitated toward extremes. I never
did drugs—as many abuse victims do—but instead
chased adrenaline highs. None of them lasted. Once, I
went on a light with a stunt pilot; we lew straight into
the air, and then the pilot killed the engine. The plane
barreled straight for the ground—his idea of a prank.
After we landed, he looked surprised and said, “I’ve
never seen anyone so calm.”
I traveled to the Himalayas to attempt a tough trek
but developed a lung condition that cut my trip short.
That threw me into a depression like no other. All I
wanted from my long-term girlfriend was comfort
and condolence. But when she told me she felt aban-
doned during my trip, we fought instead of talking it
through. I broke our relationship of cold.
MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 121
 I A M M O S T
CLOSE ORE THAN TWO DECADES AFTER my
TO HOME
ONE IN 20 BOYS
(AND ONE IN
FOUR GIRLS)
ARE SEXUALLY
ABUSED BY
M stepmother first molested me, I
started psychotherapy. My periods of
depression had grown more intense
and more frequent, and my breakups
showed that I had a clear pattern of being unable to
AGE 18.
accept intimacy. I didn’t mention my abuse with my
therapist for almost a year, even though he repeatedly
asked me why I hated my stepmother, why I’d dis-
tanced myself from my family.
Then I blurted it all out.
It was the first time I’d fully revived the painful
memories out loud. I told him that she raped me dozens
of times. I looded the room with years of shame and
embarrassment, crying tears of fury and regret. My
therapist hugged me and told me a familiar line: “It’s
not your fault.”
When I stepped out onto the busy city street that
afternoon, I could barely keep myself together. I felt
naked and alone, shivering in that landscape of glass
and steel. I hailed a cab to a friend’s apartment, where
we cried for hours on her couch. But I wasn’t ready
to commit to a real solution. As the authors of the
2008 Journal of Counseling Psychology study write,
“Depending on personal readiness, initial disclosures
may be tentative and incomplete.”
I was so overwhelmed by my irst admission that I
mostly avoided it afterward. Talking about it made it
real. I spoke to my therapist for another year after that,
switching to phone sessions after I moved to another
big city. But when I quit therapy, I barely told anyone
else. I tried to tell my sister the next time I lew down
to Florida, but when we met for lunch and she asked me
what was new in my life, I froze up. I just couldn’t do it.
“Untreated sexual abuse is a time bomb,” says
Padma Moyer, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., a Bay Area therapist
who works with adult survivors of incest. “Sometimes
it ticks so quietly that even the victim doesn’t hear it.
But if it isn’t defused, eventually there’s an explosion.”
My explosion came in late 2017. I’d been seeing a
woman for a year, and I was convinced I was going to
marry her. She was, of all things, a psychiatrist; I felt I
could open up to her in ways I never could before. I was
the happiest I’d ever been, and our romance inlated
my entire sense of self. We developed pet names for
each other, and she became “my person.” We giddily
invested in a life together, planning for kids and mar-
riage, even planning a date for our formal engage-
ment later that year.
But then my career took a turn for the worse: A big
pitch was rejected, a reliable client scrapped my ad
campaign, and I had a falling out with my business
partner. So I did what I have always done when things
go wrong: I sabotaged my life. While out of town on
business, I met with a woman I considered a friend. I
122 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
C O M F O R T E D B Y
T H E U N D E R S T A N D I N G
don’t know why, but after drinks we went back to the
house where I was staying. Again, I was daring myself
with self-destruction. I’d never cheated before, and
after 30 seconds of sex (we never even kissed) a pan-
icked instinct looded over me. I stopped, pulled up my
pants, and kicked her out.
I assumed I could hide the lapse from my girlfriend.
Living with a dark, looming secret felt natural. But I did
share an abbreviated version with her. We were working
it out. She passed her boards a month later, and I threw
her a huge celebration party. She told me she’d “fallen
in love with me all over again”—a line I’ll never forget.
But the very next day, my girlfriend talked on the phone
with the other woman. I had left for a work trip when my
girlfriend called to say she was leaving me. I bumped up
my light, but by the time I returned to my apartment,
every trace of her had vanished.
HE MONTHS FOLLOWING OUR BREAKUP, I
T had a breakdown and couldn’t function.
I barely left the house. But eventually I
realized that this depression could be a
catalyst for profound change. I somehow
found the strength to visit a new therapist—two-hour
sessions, three times a week. I plunged into books
and articles about relationships, afairs, and sexual
abuse against men.
In our post-Weinstein era, it’s critical to include
abused men in the conversation. If we don’t, we risk
deepening the alienation of those who’ve quietly suf-
fered for decades because our pain is ignored, misun-
derstood, or laughed of.
I’ve finally begun talking about all this with my
family and friends, while identifying my own trig-
gers for self-sabotage. I am most comforted by the
understanding of my truest friends, even those I’d
lost touch with or spurned in the past. The solidarity
of others who have sufered in similar ways assured me
that speaking up was the most healing thing I could
do. I’ve relied on the love of my family members, for
whom this has been uniquely diicult—especially my
mother. She has been wonderful, respecting my pri-
vacy and ofering support. I’m deconstructing my own
walls into manageable hurdles, and today I feel closer
to almost everyone in my family.
The exception has been my father.
A week after my breakdown, I made the hardest
phone call I’ve ever had to make. Crying uncontrolla-
bly, I told him he needed to come to New York imme-
diately. I didn’t say why. We rode to my therapist’s
oice in quiet, uncomfortable tension. It took all my
strength to not spill everything out and cry.
 O F M Y T R U E S T F R I E N D S .

Once we stepped into the therapist’s office, I just
threw everything out there at my dad: How his wife
took my virginity, how she subjected me to constant
abuse and manipulation, how she traumatized me sex-
ually and emotionally.
My dad sat there, stunned. He kept repeating the
same phrase: “My world is turned upside down right
now.” Then it was his turn: His marriage had been
unraveling for a decade. She didn’t respect him. They
often slept in separate bedrooms, living separate
lives under a shared roof. He hadn’t loved her for years
and was thinking of divorce. This revelation, he said,
might inally push him there.
Relief overwhelmed my anxiety. Finally there
might be justice—not the kind of justice that can be
had in a courtroom, but at least my family would have
a chance at healing. As he lew back home, I focused on
getting my life back in order, ready to recover from my
trauma and begin anew with my father.
Unfortunately, it didn’t happen that way. My dad
separated from my stepmother after she moved out,
but that was as far as it got. At 69, terriied of loneliness
and change, he went to work, frequented his bars, and
came home each night more anxious and afraid. My
stepmother claimed she felt bad about my breakdown
but never admitted to being a pedophile (although she
did consult a criminal defense attorney). She also helps
with my dad’s business, so it was even harder for him to
untangle her from his life. By January of this year, she’d HOW TO FIND
moved back in with my dad. As she’d always bragged, A THERAPIST
she can manipulate my dad into anything. Consult with
The last time I saw my dad was February. He agreed your insurer to
identify providers
to sit down with me, my sister, and her therapist. My who specialize
siblings and I had agreed to give him an ultimatum: in sexual abuse
We loved him, but we couldn’t have his wife in our lives. or trauma.
Until he changed that, we would cut of all contact with Get names
them both. My dad suggested we could still see him—for from friends or
his upcoming 70th birthday, or for holidays. “Why can’t relatives who’ve
had therapy and
she go away for a few days and you come over?” he asked. benefited from
“You wouldn’t have to see her.” I told him that was the experience.
impossible, and by the meeting’s end it was clear he’d Check out
chosen her over us. From his perspective, I realized, psychologytoday.
this whole ordeal was less about me or his wife than com; it has a
searchable list
about him. We shared an awkward hug, and I left the
of therapists
room. It honestly felt like I said goodbye to my father. that you can filter
When I was growing up, my family lived in discrete by specialty.
boxes of depression and guilt, ignorance, and abuse.
My father prefers it that way—he will continue com-
partmentalizing his life, shutting his eyes to the tsu-
nami crashing around him. But I can’t live like that.
I’ve spent too long pretending that problems don’t
exist. I have to be open about my trauma, and I want
to help others do the same. After two decades, I have to
believe what I’ve never believed before—that despite
it all, this was not my fault, and that, like every victim
too afraid to speak out, I am not alone.

How to listen better
to an abuse survivor
If you suspect something is amiss—maybe
your child is avoiding a certain person,
location, or activity—it’s time to talk. Your
job is to exude love and support without
casting shame or accusations, says Chris-
topher Turner, Ph.D, L.C.S.W., who special-
izes in treating childhood trauma. “Child
victims who feel believed and supported
emotionally by their parents or care givers
do significantly better in their recovery
than those who don’t,” Turner says.
If your partner comes to you to disclose
abuse, listen attentively. Be supportive and
stress that he or she can trust you with the
information. Don’t overreact; assure your
partner that you can and will be there for
support. Then follow through. Many people
have a history of abuse. If you’re among
them and your partner is disclosing to you,
note your feelings, but don’t lose sight of
what your partner is sharing in the moment.
If you’re talking with a family member
or a partner, write down what you want to
say so you can be calm and articulate.
Have the chat in a safe space, physically
and emotionally.
Tell your children that if anyone is touch-
ing their private parts, they need to tell a
trusted adult, such as a parent, teacher,
or doctor. Kids need to know that the only
people who can touch those areas are
trusted people, such as doctors, nurses,
and certain caregivers. And even then, kids
should also know that they’re allowed to
tell any grownup to stop, no matter who it
is, if they don’t like the touch.
Answer questions directly and at the
child’s pace. Do not overreact if you
believe abuse is occurring, or if abuse is
disclosed. Commend the child for telling
you; be supportive and communicate your
belief in what he or she is saying. Don’t
press for details. Gather enough to report
to professionals.
If your child is a teenager, symptoms
may be more complex and include depres-
sion, extreme mood swings, bedwetting,
sudden acquisition of money and talking
about a new older friend, or even self-
mutilation. Talk in a nonjudgmental way
to find out if abuse is happening, and get
professional help to address symptoms.
How to speak up
if you’re the survivor
If you’re an adult who was abused and
need to unburden yourself, begin by speak-
ing to a third party, like a therapist, says
Lindsey Pratt, L.M.H.C., a New York City
psychotherapist who specializes in sexual
trauma. But when you talk to your partner
or family, use this guide.
Remember that you are in control. Ask
the listener to withhold questions so that
you can speak at your own pace without
interruption.
Realize that disclosing abuse is a gradual
process. Reading stories of abuse and dis-
closure can help you with the process.
Whoever you’re talking to, prepare for all
reactions. And have someone you trust on
call in case you become upset. Doing this in
the presence of a therapist may help.
It’s normal to fear that your disclosure
will change the relationship—and it may,
says Pratt. “But I’ve found that many times
the opposite takes place, and people’s rela-
tionships become strengthened. These
conversations can actually bring people
together.” —Joshua St. Clair

MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 123

124 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN LOOMIS
 KICK IT UP A NOTCH
Luke Rockhold,
former UFC champ,
training near Fort
Lauderdale, Florida.
B Froning dropped to second place,
beaten by gravity. In the wake of the loss,
he realized two things: First, he needed to
learn how to climb that rope. That would
be easy enough. He was a natural athlete
with a madman work ethic.
The second problem was knottier:
He knew the trophy wouldn’t always be
dangling from a rope. There would be
other roadblocks to success. If he was to
be a champion, he needed an edge. That
certain intangible something that would
give him the strength to climb into the
winner’s circle. He needed some juice.
So Froning did what many athletes do.
He turned to the needle. The tattoo nee-
dle. Galatians 6:14. From the ninth book
of the New Testament. Got it shot into his
rib cage. Then he captured four CrossFit
championships in a row. It’s no secret,
and he’ll readily tell you so: Rich Froning
got juiced with Jesus.

FITNESS AND FAITH have been workout

partners for a long time. The original
Olympic Games were a religious festival
to honor Zeus. In the 1850s, the phrase
“muscular Christianity” was coined to
represent the idea that sports helped “PRAYER IS A
men develop itness, good morals, and
“manly” character. The “C” in YMCA
once emphatically stood for Christian.
VALUABLE PRACTICE
Whenever Muhammad Ali shocked the
world with another victory, he gave credit
FOR ENHANCING
to Allah. Now when athletes thank God
on SportsCenter, it can seem like a cliché.
PERFORMANCE.”
126 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
 ELEVATE YOUR GAME
Rich Froning focuses
on his workout at
CrossFit Mayhem in
Cookeville, Tennessee.
HIGHER POWER | Photographs by Andrew Hetherington
Rich Froning, 30 [5'9", 198 lb]
TRAINER, FOUR-TIME CROSSFIT CHAMPION

No one on the planet can measure

faith. You can wrestle with it, but you
don’t get the inal score until you’re dead.
Until then, hard numbers—proof that
spending time with a preacher can add
10 reps to your preacher curl—are scarce.
But not nonexistent. Research shows that
athletic performance depends on a com-
bination of physical skill and psychologi-
cal state. For a person of faith, the two are
often intertwined. It makes sense, then,
that faith can afect performance.
The faithful speak of the heart and the
spirit, but science points to the brain; the
mental components of exercise are far
more powerful than we imagined. Medi-
tation, self-talk, mind games—it all helps.
Your decision to quit moving has both
physical and psychological triggers, but
the psycholog ical ones are more mallea-
ble. Alex Hutchinson, Ph.D., author of
Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously
Elastic Limits of Human Performance,
describes it this way: “In the psycho-
biological model (of tolerance and inten-
sity in exercise), efort is the yin and
motivation is the yang. When you can
downshift your sense of perceived efort
and upshift your motivation, you can
elevate your performance. Faith—and
self-belief—can help you change gears.”
First let’s test faith. In a landmark
study of 180 elite Korean athletes,
researchers identiied prayer as one
of seven strategies used by high-level
athletes to cope with the stress of com-

MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 127

Froning, CONTINUED STAYING POWER | Photographs by Michael Friberg
David Goggins, 43 [6'2", 190 lb]
If you really believe that improv- to or belief in the power of a particular
RETIRED NAVY SEAL
ing your bodily temple, or achieving routine or practice, whether it’s for
victory, gloriies God, could it not then health, self-improvement, or some-
be construed that praying to win is the thing else,” says Anne Harrington,
right thing to do? “I don’t think I’ve Ph.D., a professor of behavioral science
ever actually prayed to win an event,” at Harvard. “The faith factor may not
says Froning. “It’s more just, ‘Cover always need to point to some higher
me.’ I’ve already put in the work. Now power. Sometimes the power of faith
it’s just getting it done and not letting lies in faith itself.”
the nerves catch up to me. There’s a Marcora agrees, citing a U.K. study
calming efect knowing that whatever in which runners who were given fake
happens, win or lose, everything’s performance enhancers improved
going to be okay. I’ve obviously had their 3,000-meter times. “This is
some bad events where I thought God evidence that the belief that some-
could help a little bit more,” he adds, thing can improve your performance
trailing of into a chuckle. can improve it for real,” he says. In
Does he think the believing athlete addition to the 22 percent of Korean
has a competitive edge over a non- athletes who cited prayer as a coping
believer? “For sure,” says Froning. “I strategy to help them handle the
personally wouldn’t be where I am stresses of their sport, 19 percent cited
without my faith. I know that for a fact. superstitions—including touching
So for me, yes. I’ve done things compet- their testicles—as a way to deal.
ing that I never thought were possible Marcora says the stronger the belief,
in training. So I can’t explain where the stronger the efect on the out-
that comes from, but I’m sure there’s come—and religious beliefs are among
somebody helping for sure.” Froning’s the strongest convictions that human
feelings are backed by research citing beings have. “If you think praying
faith as an assist that helps compet- or having a relationship with God
itors cope with stress and anxiety, improves your performance,” he says,
attain peak performance, and provide “it becomes self-fulilling.” (He did not
meaning to sports participation. weigh in on the power of pocket pool.)
With the right efort, spiritually-
THERE IS ALSO GREAT POWER IN based itness can work in many faiths,
believing that your faith and improved says Jim Lewis, Ph.D., a neuroscience
performance will help others. “Doing researcher at Indiana Wesleyan and
something for someone else, or a chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserves.
working for somebody else, helps you “Like physical itness, spiritual itness
push yourself beyond what you think doesn’t just happen,” Lewis says. “It
is possible, or beyond what is possible takes intentional efort and regular
just doing something for yourself,” exercise in the spiritual disciplines of
says Froning. “My faith, my family, your tradition.”
whatever, if you’re doing it for someone Lewis cites resilience—the capacity
else, you’re always going to push a little to endure hardship, pain, sufering, ONE MORNING AFTER work, a chocolate
bit harder.” and losing—as central to spiritual shake in one hand and a box of doughnuts
This thinking is backed by Italian itness. This sets up a powerful cycle: in the other, Goggins slumped on the
exercise researcher Samuele Marcora, Athletes whose performances are couch and turned on the TV to ind a doc-
Ph.D., who studies something called boosted by faith also believe their umentary on the Navy SEALs Hell Week.
motivation intensity theory, or MIT. faith is strengthened when it is tested; Goggins hadn’t been running in a year
“One of the components of MIT is poten- so every time they lose, they get and couldn’t do ive pullups, but watching
tial motivation—how important it is for better at winning. Athletes love that the recruits “getting the shit kicked out
you to succeed in a task,” says Marcora. familiar saying, “That which does not of them” made him relect on his life. It
“Linking your success to someone get- kill me makes me stronger.” Lewis spurred him into action. “I was my own
ting well—especially if you believe that points out that it’s an adaptation of a worst bully,” he says. “I looked in the mir-
God can heal them—can have a very quote by the famous atheist Friedrich ror and saw a pathetic, weak, despicable
strong motivational efect.” Nietzsche, an irony that changes person. I was not proud of anything.”
If you don’t believe in God, look nothing. “It’s a framework,” says That brutal self-assessment, a process
for alternative kinds of faith—for Lewis. “In both faith and itness, it’s he calls a “live autopsy,” is something
instance, “a deeply felt commitment not the saying, it’s the doing.” he now does frequently. “You can’t hide

128 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

 “YOUR LIES
ALWAYS FIND
YOU. OWN
YOUR FLAWS,
FIX THEM.”
behind the lies you tell yourself,” he says.
“Your lies will always ind you. If you’re fat,
say you’re fat, own it, and then do some-
thing about it.” Goggins called six recruit-
ers who laughed at him before inding one
who gave him a shot. He lost the weight
in three months by eating minimally—
chicken breast, fruit, lots of water—and
working out ive times a day. He arrived at
training determined to prove to himself
that he was not “a pile of shit.”
“I realized that it was a mind game, me
versus me,” he says. “The harder the
instructors tried to break me, the harder
I smiled.” His internal dialogue evolved
to one of tough love. Goggins made the
cut (he also passed Army Ranger train-
ing) and served 14 years with the SEALs,
deploying multiple times. After leaving
the service, he used his SEAL-forged
mental strength to run ultramarathons
(he placed third at Badwater in 2007), an
Ironman triathlon (11:24:01 in 2008),
and all manner of endurance tests. He
set a Guinness record for most pullups
in 24 hours, raising his chin to the bar
4,030 times in 17 hours in 2013. Last year
he “climbed Everest” on a VersaClimber,
MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
NEVER GIVE UP
David Goggins
on a trail run in
Salt Lake City.
racing up 29,029 feet in three hours and
33 minutes. (He also did the same climb
on a Jacob’s Ladder in 6:15.) Where Fron-
ing taps his faith to help him during hard
times, Goggins dips into this arsenal of
mental hacks.
The cookie jar Goggins’s virtual jar has
no chocolate chips. “My cookie jar has
every single failure and success of my
life.” In a critical moment, he says, “I calm
down, take that one second, gain control
of my brain, and reach in the jar: ‘Wow,
you got called nigger your whole life and
you’re now the only person in history to
129
Goggins, CONTINUED STAYING POWER | Photograph by John Loomis

do this, this, and this.’ Reset my mind.
You have to remind yourself of how
badass you are in times of need. That’s
the cookie jar.”
best known example is listening Luke Rockhold, 33 [6'3", 185 lb]
to music, but research by Marcora
FORMER UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMP
and his colleagues identiies other
motivators. For example:

The suck-it-up-pill Goggins hates run-
ning: “No light feeling, my legs hurt like
hell, and I hate every minute.” But he
eventually learned that in order to stay
mentally strong, he had to get out of his
comfort zones—continuously. “I realized
early in my childhood that the mind can
help you overcome almost anything.” So
he derives satisfaction from conquering
misery. “I’m not the guy who looks at the
weather report to make a decision on
training. Whatever Mother Nature puts
in front of me, I go out and attack it.”
The Rocky mindset During his pullup
challenge, Goggins had “Going the
Distance,” from the irst Rocky movie,
playing on a loop. “Apollo has battered
the shit out of Rocky and he walks to the
corner with his arms raised, thinking
Rocky is gonna quit,” he says. “Mickey is
shouting. ‘Stay down,’ but Rocky climbs
the ropes. You see Apollo’s face, and he’s
thinking, ‘I can’t believe this guy is get-
ting back up again.’ That’s the mindset.
Go the distance. That 2½-minute song
powered me for 17 hours.”
The sacrifice “I’ve participated in 50
ultra-endurance events. Some were
to raise awareness and money for the
Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
I think about the guys who didn’t come
back. They are the real heroes. They
were prepared to give everything. That’s
the mentality. I want to wring out every
ounce of potential from my body. I believe
that when you’re dead, your spirit lives
on to think about all the things you didn’t
accomplish in your life.”
Positive or motivational self-talk (say-
O
ing “Feeling good!” or “Push through
this!”) improved time to exhaustion by
18 percent in a cycling test.
O The running economy of runners who
smiled while training was 2.8 percent
better than when they frowned.
O The time to exhaustion of cyclists
who were shown a happy face was
12 percent better than when they
viewed a sad face.
These are in-the-moment hacks.
Other specialists are targeting
mental tactics that start working
further upstream.
F
Former UFC middleweight
champion and current No. 3
Luke Rockhold has trained in
multiple disciplines, including
jiu-jitsu, judo, and Muay Thai.
He travels the world to learn
new training and ighting
techniques—and stoke his moti-
vation. “Anytime you spar at a
new dojo, whether it’s in Japan,
Brazil, or Thailand, the ighters
come after the new guy,” he
says. “It’s a way to test yourself
against the best and to sharpen
your technical skills and push
yourself to be the best you can be.”
CAPTION KICKER
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illatiur?Omnim

IN CASE YOU WERE wondering, Goggins

does believe in God, although that’s
not a major motivator for his itness
exploits. His endurance techniques are
science-based. For the most part, says
Marcora, they work because perceived
exertion—a sense of efort—is what
matters most in endurance exercise. “If
the efort feels easy, you can go faster.
If it feels hard, you stop. It may sound
obvious, but it’s profound because there
are lots of ways you can alter your sense of
efort.” Anything you can do to distract
FIGHTING FIT
your brain from screaming “Stop!” and Luke Rockhold spars at Hard
reassure your body that it can handle Knocks 365 in Fort Lauderdale.
the challenge will help you go on. The

130 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

 Rockhold’s motivation is not
hatred for his opponents, but
self-improvement. A champion-
ship bout on the calendar gives
every training session urgency,
and the prep follows a proven
method: sparring in various
disciplines, periodized strength
and cardio work, and grueling
mobility and core training. Like
Goggins, Rockhold looks for
opportunities to be in discomfort,
whether it’s wrestling heavier
ighters, sprinting intervals, or
enduring drills like 500 high
kicks on each side.
Extreme drills establish deep
wells of resilience. Rockhold
would never execute 500 kicks
in a ight, but the mind-numbing
nature of the drill is partly the
point. “Your goal is to kick as
hard as you can each time,” says
Rockhold. “The irst couple of
hundred, you’re focusing on form
and striking explosively. But as
you get exhausted, you think less
about the execution and focus on
your breathing. Those can be your
cleanest, purest, hardest kicks.”
SIX PROVEN MENTAL STRENGTH HACKS
(Plus, he’s stocking his cookie jar
Top trainers share tips to get over the hump.
with performance-enhancing
memories.)
David Jack Zach Forrest, CFL4
Routines and drills like this Cofounder, Activlab, Phoenix MaxEffort Fitness, Las Vegas
serve as meditative pursuits, says
sports psychologist Jonathan Tap into big emotion Breathe through pain
Dedicate your workout to an Find a rhythm connecting your
Fader, Ph.D. “They help the
intention greater than yourself breathing to your rep, stroke,
Grooming: Thom Priano/Contact NYC (Rockhold); courtesy Vivan Sachs (Maximus), courtesy Stefania Curto/@nikenyc (Holder)

athlete tune into the moment
and trust his innate talent and
not overthink his performance.”
Enlightened autopilot can help
your performance.
that moves you—a sick parent or a
cause you believe in, for example.
It becomes deeply powerful.
Write it on your wrist and look at it
throughout your workout.
or stride, so you can focus on
maintaining the rhythm. This is
common with endurance training,
but you can also use it for circuits
when you’re busting out reps.

BREATH—OR LACK OF IT—is central Ben Sweeney, CFL2 Jared Bullock

to another activity Rockhold
practices to toughen his mind:
spearishing. He’s been going
deeper and deeper, diving
hundreds of feet down to pursue
cobia and staying underwater for
longer than two minutes. “It’s a
mental challenge because you
have to relax so you’re not wasting
energy. You have to be patient,
eicient with your moves, and
attuned to what’s happening with
your body physically. The key is
not to rush or panic. You wait and
wait and wait—and then strike.”
This self-awareness transfers to
the octagon, enhancing his
ability to «C O N T I N U E D O N P.1 3 9
Brick New York, New York City
Prove the haters wrong
For tough workouts, I get fired
up by reminding myself of all
the people who doubted me or
questioned my abilities or said
I would never find any success.
Then I tell myself I’m about to
prove them all wrong.
Bobby Maximus
Author of The Maximus Body
Ladder your reps
Let’s say my goal is 55 reps of a
movement. You don’t do them all at
once. I do 10 reps, 9 reps, 8, down
to 1. Rest between rounds. My
favorite ladder is 55 reps, which
is 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. It’s easier
when the ladder is counting down.
SOFLETE, double amputee
Take one more step
Every month, do something that’ll
really test you, where finishing is
dependent on your mindset, not
your fitness. I drag a sled with a third
of my body weight or do a loaded
barbell farmer’s carry for a mile. It’s
not about time. It’s about finishing.
Joe Holder
Creator of OchoSystem
See the finish line
Visualization prior to a running
workout helps me destress. I
visualize the course or the distance
from start to finish and mentally
address and picture the moments
when I’ll hit a wall during the run
and how I’ll deal with it.

MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 131

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BODY
SHOP PHOTOGRAPHS by BETH BISCHOFF

Benchmark:
MASTER
THE WALL
CURL

GET
THE
BODY
YOU
WANT,
JUST
IN TIME
FOR
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SEASON
Edited by
EBENEZER
SAMUEL, C.S.C.S.

Y
 
ou’ve stayed with Andy Speer, C.S.C.S., creator of the
Anarchy Abs workout, through the two workouts in our April
and May issues. Now that summer’s on the horizon, it’s time
to finish strong. In designing this month’s four-week pro-
gram, Speer drew from his experience preparing for fitness
shoots. Go hard. In this workout, be sure to choose a weight that will
challenge you. Each week will bring tougher workouts, but you’ll love
the big payoff: A stronger, more ripped body this summer.
MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 133
BODY
SHOP
SCHEDULE
D A Y 1 PAIRED SETS D A Y 2 PAIRED SETS DAY 3 D A Y 4 INTERVALS D A Y 5 INTERVALS DAY 6 DAY 7
REST/ REST/ REST/
Do alternating 30- Do alternating CARDIO Do moves 1, 3, 2, Do moves 6, 7, CARDIO CARDIO
second intervals 30-second inter- and 4 in that order. 8, and 9 in order.
of moves 1 and 3 vals of moves 6 and Spend 6 straight Spend 6 straight
for the time listed 7 for the time listed minutes on each, minutes on each,
below. Rest 3 min- below. Rest 3 min- following the rest/ following the rest/
utes. Do 2 and 4 the utes. Do 8 and 9 the reps guide below. reps guide below.
same way. Finish same way. Finish Rest 2 minutes Rest 2 minutes
up with a 4-minute up with a 4-minute between moves. between moves.
Tabata (work for 20 Tabata (work for 20 Finish up with a Finish up with a
seconds, rest 10) seconds, rest 10) 4-minute Tabata 4-minute Tabata
of move 5. of move 10. of move 5. of move 10.

PAIRED SET WORKOUTS INTERVAL WORKOUTS

Week 1: 12 minutes Week 1: 30 seconds on, 30 of
Week 2: 14 minutes Week 2: 40 seconds on, 20 of
Week 3: 16 minutes Week 3: 45 seconds on, 15 of
Week 4: 18 minutes Week 4: 50 seconds on, 10 of

1 Dumbbell snatch
Hold a dumbbell in your right hand at mid-shin level
with your knees bent and a slight hinge in your hips. Pull
the weight up as you explosively straighten your knees and
hips. (If you stand on your tiptoes, that’s okay.) As the weight
reaches shoulder height, extend your right arm straight up.
That’s 1 rep. Start with your right arm on the first set; alternate
between arms every set after that.

3 Pushup
Assume a pushup position, your
hands slightly beyond shoulder
width, feet together, and core tight.
Bend at your elbows to lower
your torso an inch from the floor;
then push back up. At all times,
keep your forearms perpendicular
to the floor and your core as tight
as possible. That’s 1 rep.

Grooming: William/R+Co and Lab Series/Atelier Management

2 Dumbbell
front squat
Stand with dumb-
bells against the
meatiest parts of your
shoulders. Bend at
your knees, lowering
your torso until your
thighs are parallel to
the floor. Return to
standing. That’s 1 rep.
5 Burpee
Start in a standing position. Hinge
at your hips, set your hands on the
floor, kick your feet back in a wide
4 Inverted row stance, and lower your chest to
Hang a suspension trainer from a pullup bar so its handles are about waist-high. Lie the floor. Get up as quickly as you
under it, your chest aligned with the handles and legs straight. Grab the handles using can by kicking your feet forward
a neutral grip, and pull your torso to the handles. Lower your torso. That’s 1 rep. (Too and standing. Finish by jumping
hard? Set the handles slightly higher and assume a position that’s closer to standing.) straight up. That’s 1 rep.

134 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

 8 Push press
Stand holding dumbbells at
your shoulders, your feet about
shoulder-width apart. Your elbows
should be bent and palms facing
each other. Keeping your core
tight, bend your knees slightly;
then explosively straighten them.
6 Chinup Use the momentum to press the
Hang from a bar dumbbells over your shoulders
using an underhand, until your arms are straight. Don’t
shoulder-width grip. arch your back as you do this.
Squeeze your shoul- Lower the weights back to your
der blades, tighten shoulders. That’s 1 rep.
your core, and pull
your chest to the bar ALL EARS
(or as close to it as you Bring your upper
can get). Slowly lower arms close to your
yourself back to hang- ears as you straighten
your arms.
ing, maintaining slight
tension in your middle
back. That’s 1 rep.

HARD CORE
Keep your core as
tight as you can
while you pull your
torso upward.

PANTS
Lululemon
SHOES
Reebok
SHORTS
Rhone
(opener)

7 Broad jump
Stand with your feet about
shoulder-width apart and knees
slightly bent. Hinge at your hips,
bend more deeply with your knees,
and throw your arms backward.
Now throw your arms forward
and take a big leap. Land with your
feet still apart. Your knees should
be slightly bent to cushion your
landing. Then backpedal to the
starting line. That’s 1 rep.

9 Jump lunge 10 Lateral shuffle

Assume a staggered stance,
your left foot forward. Bend both
knees and lower your torso until
your left thigh is parallel to the floor
and your right shin is close to the
floor. Explosively stand back up.
As you do this, jump and shift your
feet so your right foot lands in front
of your left. That’s 1 rep. When
you land, you should already be
in position for the next rep.
Stand with your feet about
shoulder-width apart, knees bent.
Quickly shuffle 10 steps to the right
and then 10 steps to the left. Try
to keep your chest up, and don’t
let your feet cross in front of each
other as you do this. Think of
staying low to the ground. (Short
on space? Take fewer steps to
each side; just make sure you’re
shuffling the entire time.)

MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 135

BODY
SHOP PUSH BACK
Keep pushing your
butt back as
you reach your
arms forward.

Prep school 3 Child’s pose

Use these drills to prime your body
for each of this month’s workouts.
to reach and rotate
Kneel with your big toes touch-
ing. Lean your torso forward,
reaching your hands out on the
floor. This is the starting posi-
tion. Lift your right hand. Thread
your right arm under your left
armpit. Return to the start. That’s
1 rep; do 2 sets of 10 per side.

1 Downward dog to spider lunge

Start in pushup position, feet shoulder-width
apart. Keeping your legs straight, raise your
butt; try to stay aligned from torso to arms. Hold.
Return to pushup position. Without moving your
left leg, bring your right foot outside your right
hand. Return to the start; repeat the sequence
on the other side. That’s 1 rep; do 2 sets of 10.

2 Superman to 4 Speed jacks

floor angel
Lie facedown on the floor with your
arms extended. Simultaneously
tighten your glutes, raise your legs,
and tighten your back muscles
as you raise your arms and upper
chest. This is the start. Maintain-
ing this position, fan your arms
backward. Try to touch your hands
together on your back. Return to
the starting position. That’s 1 rep;
do 2 sets of 10.
Stand with your arms
at your sides, feet
together. Start doing
jumping jacks, but
instead of maintaining
a relaxed pace, move
your arms and feet as
fast as you possibly
can. Keep at it for 30
seconds; then rest
for 30 seconds. Work
through 2 rounds.

136 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

Ebenezer Samuel,
C.S.C.S.,
Men’s Health
Benchmark
itness editor
@ebenezersamuel23 CANNONBALL BICEPS

STRE N GTH
WARMUP
To maximize your Do 3 rounds of this muscle-building circuit.
arm exercises and
SHORTS
Lululemon
Rest 1 minute between each round. Start
prevent injury, don’t SHOES with medium-weight dumbbells; aim for
let your shoulders
Reebok 12 reps in the irst two rounds, 10 in the last
roll forward. Prone round. Focus on lawless form.
cobras will strengthen 2 Tall kneeling hold curl
your shoulders and Kneel on your shins, thighs perpendicular to the floor, holding
the stabilizing muscles dumbbells with an underhand grip. Curl the weights until your fore-
arms are parallel to the floor; this is the start. Without moving your
in your back. left arm, lower your right arm to your side. Do one full curl. Lower
to the start. Repeat with your left arm. That’s 1 rep; do 10 to 12.

1 Prone cobra
Lie facedown on the floor with your
legs straight, arms at your sides, and
palms down. Drive your hips into the
floor. Contract your glutes, raising your
legs off the floor. Simultaneously inhale
and tighten the muscles in your upper
back, raising your chest, head, and
arms off the floor; rotate your thumbs
toward the ceiling as you do this. Hold
for 4 seconds, and then return to the
start. That’s 1 rep. Do 2 sets of 10.

3 Floor JM press
Lie faceup on the floor holding dumbbells above
your chest, arms straight, and palms facing in.
Bend your elbows so the dumbbells end up
directly over your shoulders and the points of
your elbows are near your ribs. Pause and return
to the starting position. That’s 1 rep; do 10 to 12.

BENCHMARK 4 Wall curl 5 Close-grip

TEST YOURSELF! Stand with your back pushup hold
pressed against a wall, Assume a pushup posi-
Set a timer holding two 20-pound tion, your hands directly
for 2 minutes dumbbells with an under- under your shoulders.
per round. Do hand grip. Curl them Keeping your elbows
3 rounds total, upward toward your close to your body, lower
chest as you keep press- your torso until your
resting 1 min- ing your back and upper chest is 2 inches from the
ute between arms into the wall. floor. Hold 4 seconds;
each. Track the Squeeze your biceps return to the start. That’s
number of close- at the top of the curl; 1 rep; do as many as you
then lower the dumb- can before the time’s up
grip pushup bells. That’s 1 rep; do 10. or your form fails.
holds you com-
plete; that’s
your score. SCORECARD <6 Off to a good start 7–12 That’s serious strength >13 Now you’ve got sleeve-busting biceps!

MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018 137

 «JA M E S M A R S D E N , FRO M P. 1 0 3 and demonstrated how to be an actor. It’s integrity and «T H E P OW E R O F AW E , FRO M P. 117
a loving, funny, and patient substance of character—it’s
sad and made me pull every- man. “He spoiled my grand- like when shit happens to directed, implying that an
thing into focus. I needed to mother. He took care of her for you in hard times, who do you omnipotent force in control.
focus on what was important,” 20 years because she was ill of become because of that? Your Valdesolo says he was amazed
he says. “So that’s who I am and on. He would wait on her kids look at you and that’s when participants describing
now because of that. I know hand and foot until his last how they deine who and what themselves as “non-theists
regrets can be catalysts for days and sneak her chocolates they’re supposed to be.” who believe in the explanatory
good things. Not to talk like a in the hospital. It was like The Marsden feels safe knowing power of science” predomi-
Hallmark card, but it’s true.” Notebook,” he says. “It taught that when he tries, even if he nantly favored the directed-
Marsden’s late grandfather me a lot about love.” fails, the efort is still a kind of evolution explanation. Put
showed him how to make the Marsden carries one bit of success. “I’m very proud and another way: Awe suddenly
best of a situation. “I was really wisdom from his grandfather very lucky to be doing what I do. made them prefer theories that
close with him. He was like a with him. “He told me, ‘Do I want to move people. I love suggested purposeful design.
mentor,” he says. the right thing, even when no it when people stop me to say Why? Humans have
The death hit him hard. one is looking.’ You know, it’s they love my work or thought I an innate desire for order
“You just assume they will like the testament of charac- was funny, or that I made them and explanation; we hate
be around forever. He was ter,” he says. That’s when he cry. That’s always important randomness and uncertainty.
instrumental in taking over wells up. “He taught me to do to me. But if I couldn’t do this It’s stressful. “So whatever
when my parents were split- the right things and be a good anymore, my happiness is is available to alleviate that
ting.” His grandfather took person. You know, to want to be knowing that I’m a fully real- feeling of randomness or
him on ishing trips as a child, someone of substance and have ized person and my happiness uncertainty, you’ll take,”
real character, especially for isn’t dependent on being a Valdesolo says.
my own children.” success within Hollywood. I
And being a good father is want to be able to step away AWE MAKES YOU LESS OF A DICK
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them into the wild,” he says, about death, divorce, and clock tower from which they
laughing. “And at that point personal growth all the time. could gaze for miles. Everyone
Men’s Health (ISSN 1054-4836) Vol. 33, No. 5
is published 10 times per year, monthly except you just have to think, ‘Jesus, I Everyday life makes these top- had four minutes to look at their
combined issues in January/February and July/August
and when future combined issues are published that
count as two issues as indicated on the issue’s cover,
hope I did it right.’ But of all my ics “easier not to think about.” surroundings, during which
by Hearst Communications, Inc., at 300 W. 57th St.,
NY, NY 10019, USA. Periodicals postage paid at New
achievements in life, being a Walking back on the dusty time researchers administered
York, NY and at additional mailing ofices. Steven R.
Swartz, President & Chief Executive Oficer; William R. father is the one thing I’m most path, Marsden muses that con- a survey that asked them to
Hearst III, Chairman; Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Executive
Vice Chairman; Catherine A. Bostron, Secretary. proud of. It is the most fulilling. fronting himself and his past rank the intensity of 14 distinct
Hearst Magazines Division: David Carey, President;
John A. Rohan Jr., Senior Vice President, Finance. I’m always self-deprecating, is “like scraping of old scabs.” emotions, with awe and humil-
Copyright 2018 by Hearst Magazines, Inc. All rights
reserved. Men’s Health is a registered trademark of
Hearst Magazines, Inc. Postmaster: Send all UAA
but I don’t have a problem say- For a moment, it looks like he’s ity among them.
to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND
MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address changes to
ing that I am a great dad.” going to cry. But he pulls him- Not surprisingly, the control
Men’s Health Customer Care, P.O. Box 3064, Harlan,
IA 51593-0128. IN CANADA: Postage paid at Gateway, Part of that means showing self together, drawing from group felt signiicantly less
Mississauga, Ontario; Canada Post International
Publication Mail (Canadian Distribution) Sales the kids how to respond to a the pain and the love in his life. awe than the people in the
Agreement No. 40063752. Postmaster (Canada):
Send returns and address changes to Men’s Health screwup. “It takes seeing the “When you try to block it out or clock tower. But those on the
magazine, P.O. Box 927, Stn Main, Markham ON L3P
9Z9 (GST# R122988611). Mailing Lists: From time
to time we make our subscriber list available to
hero mess up or fail at some- go around it or avoid problems,” tower also ranked humility
companies that sell goods and services by mail that
we believe would interest our readers. If you would
thing to become a man,” he he says,“that’s when you are high. In fact, awe and humility
rather not receive such mailings by postal mail,
please send your current mailing label or exact copy says. “That, to me, has become not living life. I’ve screwed up, seemed to be inextricable, with
to: Men’s Health, Mail Preference Center, P.O. Box
3064, Harlan, IA, 51593-0128. Customer Service: Call more important than being I’ve been hurt. I’ve had fun. I’m the former inducing
1-800-666-2303 or write to Men’s Health Customer
Service, P.O. Box 3064, Harlan, IA 51593-0128. this superstar, movie star, or learning from it.” the latter.

138 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

 “Awe is the emotional vehicle
that makes you feel connected
to something larger than your-
self,” says Pif. “Awe makes you
feel less entitled, less narcissis-
tic, and more compassionate
because you feel less important.
That’s the part that matters for
kindness and generosity.”
AWE STRENGTHENS
RELATIONSHIPS
Astronauts who view Earth
from space often report feeling
a oneness with humanity and
the universe. It’s a shift in
mindset that psychologists call
the “overview efect.” Accord-
ing to Soviet cosmonaut Boris
Volynov, who lew two Soyuz
missions, “you begin to be
more kind and patient with the
people around you.”
Dr. Newberg mapped blood-
low in the brains of people
experiencing a spiritual sense
of awe. He found that the region
in charge of establishing our
sense of self in the world par-
tially shuts down. Meanwhile,
the area controlling emotions
and arousal ires up, releasing
One totally awesome week
AWE DOESN’T HAVE TO COME
IN A SINGLE MASSIVE SERVING
TO BENEFIT YOUR HEALTH. SMALL
REGULAR DOSES CAN HAVE AN
IMPACT AS WELL. TRY IT!
MONDAY View a sunrise or sunset.
But watch it from a different venue.
“Novelty is important,” says David
Bryce Yaden, Ph.D.(c). “The first time
you fly is awe-inspiring. But after a
few times, you shut the window.”
TUESDAY Take a warm bath with
the lights off. “Feel the water with
every inch of your body,” says Blue
Mind author Wallace Nichols, Ph.D.
The floating sensation quiets the
brain’s parietal lobe and promotes
connective feelings.
WEDNESDAY Visit a church,
sports arena, or other impressive
structure. “Great architecture
simulates the vastness of the great
outdoors,” says Dr. Newberg, and it
also promotes optimism. Looking
back at the International Space
Station during spacewalks, Scott
Kelly says he got this feeling of “hey,
we’re capable of pretty amazing
things if we put our minds to it.”
feel-good dopamine. In short,
awe dissolves the boundary
between self and others. We
become less self-absorbed and
more focused on the emotional
needs of others.
Awe’s impact on intimacy
soars even higher when people
witness a mind-blowing event
together. “Anytime you have a
shared emotional experience,
it’s a stronger experience and
it starts to deine the relation-
ship,” says Valdesolo. Seeking
out awe-inspiring moments
with anyone you want to feel
closer to induces feelings of
open-mindedness and afec-
tion, he explains.
“It may override the bore-
dom, the routine you get into,”
adds awe researcher Amie
Gordon, Ph.D. “It might help
you to see that person in a
diferent light, and feel closer
and connected.”
My son and I reminisced
about our eclipse odyssey for
months. The next total solar
eclipse visible from the United
States will be on April 8, 2024.
You can bet we’ll be there.
THURSDAY Watch BBC ’s Planet
Earth series. Scientists use it to
induce conceptual and percep-
tional awe in study participants.
CNN’s Heroes and Jason Silva’s
Shots of Awe on YouTube are also
great. The bigger the screen and
the louder the audio, the better it is,
says Jennifer Stellar, Ph.D.
FRIDAY Attend a live musical
performance. Along with nature
and inspirational people, music
is among potent elicitors of awe,
according to research by Amie Gor-
don, Ph.D. It shifts your attention
outward, resulting in a “diminish-
ment of self-focus,” adds Yaden.
SATURDAY Go for a hike. Without
earbuds. “Tune into things in your
environment,” says Paul Piff, Ph.D.,
“and the details that get you to think
about the complexity of the world.”
SUNDAY Reminisce with a loved
one about an awesome moment
you shared. “Reliving an experi-
ence can trigger the same positive
effects as the original event,” says
Piercarlo Valdesolo, Ph.D.
«M I N D OV E R M U S C L E , FRO M P. 1 3 1
stay calm under duress and
providing a more intimate
understanding and trust of
his body.
The concept of “intero-
ception” is a hot area of study
that can sound new-agey,
even spiritual. Interoception,
as formally deined, consists
of the receiving, processing,
and integration of body-
relevant signals together
with external stimuli to
afect goal-driven behavior.
That mouthful is translated
by mindfulness coach
Pete Kirchmer as “a sense
of what’s going on in your
body—hunger, thirst, pain,
temperature, heart rate,
fatigue, and the wisdom to
respond to it. It’s a capacity
that can be trained.”
A series of brain scan
studies at UC San Diego with
athletes and soldiers reveals
that people with heightened
interoception demonstrate
exceptional resilience. “It’s
about using your internal
awareness to anticipate and
prepare for stress during
extreme situations so your
body doesn’t overreact,”
Kirchmer says. Harvard
researchers found that
eight weeks of mindfulness
training, including medita-
tion, decreased brain-matter
density of the amygdala, the
ight-or-light center that
responds to stress. Other
research has found that
mindfulness training can
decrease the amygdala’s
connectivity to the rest of
the brain, reduce perceived
levels of pain, and increase
connectivity in brain areas
associated with focus.
Kirchmer leads three-
day workshops for athletes,
executives, irst responders,
and others who are looking
to perform better under
stress. The cornerstones of
the program are mindfulness,
meditation, and movement
practices designed to help
MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018
participants connect with
their body and focus their
mind. He recommends
practicing up to 30 minutes a
day. Experienced meditators
feel the pain, but it doesn’t
trigger a stress reaction.
“Like any kind of exercise,
meditation takes time to
learn, and the more time you
put in, the more you get out,”
Kirchmer says. Start out with
three to ive minutes a day
using a guided app such as
Insight Timer or Headspace.
He also teaches his clients
to check in with their body
before and even during a
stressful activity. Take a
deep breath and ask yourself
questions like, “What are
my feet feeling? How is my
heartbeat?” Doing this
can help break the trance
of anxious thinking or
negativity. Be observational
and nonjudgmental.
Negative self-talk can
be efective in the short
term, Kirchmer says, but a
compassionate approach is
more sustainable. Research
by psychologist Kristin Nef,
Ph.D., of the University of
Texas at Austin, suggests
that replacing fear of failure
and inadequacy with an
attitude of kindness and
friendliness can fuel stronger
feelings of self-belief. The
goal is to treat yourself like
you would if you were being
a supportive, constructive
coach to someone who’s
learning something new. This
approach emphasizes being
an inner ally rather than an
inner enemy in order to reach
your full potential.
Ultimately you have to ind
the methods that best help
you forge greater conidence.
Everything from prayer and
airmative tattoos to activity
monitors and meditation can
play a role in helping you gain
insights into yourself.
Then you just have to
believe.
139
 THE (Above)
AVERAGE GUY
HOW DO YOU RATE?
THIS
MONTH
Dads
32%
–› THE POPS
POLL SAY THEY LOSE
SLEEP WORRYING
Generally, how
ABOUT PROVIDING
are fathers valued A GOOD LIFE FOR
in society now THEIR CHILD.
compared to when
you were a kid?

More now 31%

$89,420
average cost for four
Less now 45% years of college now
Same-ish 24%

What aspect of
“turning into
$372,397
your dad” scares average projected cost in

29 <6
you most? 2033, when your 3-year-
old heads off to college
Don’t wait to start saving. “A good
rule of thumb is to start at birth
Average and put away $100 a week per
hours of sleep child,” says Chris Efessiou, author
logged by fathers His clothes 23% of CDO Chief Daddy Officer: The
AVERAGE AGE OF A FIRST-TIME of newborns His hair 27% Business of Fatherhood. Do that
FATHER (UP FROM 25 IN 1973) (6–12 weeks) His crotchetiness for 18 years and you’ll probably
35% have 90 to 150 grand for tuition.
His sense of
Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z humor 15%

37%
3 in 10 new dads report dozing off at work.
How often do
you have a
meaningful talk
with your father?

OF KIDS SAY THEY

WISH NO PARENTS
Hardly ever 46%
WOULD WATCH
Maybe once a
year 19% THEM PLAY.
About once a “Brush it off, forget about it” is bad advice after your child has
month 21% a tough game, says Michael Kimmel, Ph.D., a sociologist at
Every week or Stony Brook University. Let them feel the pain, and then later
so 14% explain that failure is both inevitable and necessary to learn
and succeed. And let some time pass. It’s not about you in that
Are you a better moment. “Your job is to comfort and to support their process.”
Don’t make reading time just

43%OF FATHERS
more screen time. “Use actual
books, not tablets,” says Kyle Pruett,
M.D., clinical professor of child
psychiatry at Yale. “Kids get to turn
the pages, and the pace is slower
dad than your
father was?
Coolest dad ever? Maybe not. Tony
Hawk’s kids bust on him as he turns 50.

WITH CHILDREN “He hasn’t “He steals “He’s in

Getty Images (5)

than swiping mindlessly.” He also inished Mario your food.” bed by 9 p.m.”
UNDER 6 YEARS approves of Legos. But get creative, Odyssey, and —Calvin, 15 —Miles, 18
OLD READ TO “not just following directions to Yes 53% he can’t dance!”
THEIR KIDS DAILY. make it look the one ‘right way.’” No 47% —Kady, 9

140 MEN′S HEALTH • JUNE 2018

© 2018 Tyson Foods, Inc.
 Right now, 93,401 people want to
cross something off their bucket list.

But only 77 are taking

their shot.

DRINK SMART®
Hornitos® Tequila, 40% alc./vol. ©2018 Sauza Tequila Import Company, Chicago, IL