Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Mens Health Australia September 2021
Mens Health Australia September 2021
to Dads
LUG HERE
A SMARTER
Abs, WAY TO
CHASE
Plz
Right This
THE
PUMP P120
Way… Survival Instinct
P22
WIN AT
LIFE WITH
JONATHAN
LAPAGLIA P16
3 0 PA G E S O F
ER N
OV
UT
DUDE
RIT
IO N AL GO
FOOD
MASTER YOUR...
Mind
Muscles
Mood
IN 18 EASY STEPS
J u e 2 0 20
CO NTE NTS 0 9/ 21
62
THE WARNE LEGACY
In an MH exclusive,
cricketing icon
Shane Warne
reflects on his
remarkable career,
his passion for
health, fitness and
looking his best, and
perhaps his greatest
achievement: a
loving relationship
with son Jackson.
4 MEN’S HE ALTH
COVER GUYS:
SHANE WARNE & JACKSON WARNE
PHOTOGRAPHED BY:
JAMES GEER
TACT I CS
129
Feet Up For Extra Gains
More than just a show-stopper, the
handstand push-up delivers upper
body strength and power. Find out
108
Exercise vs Diet
Are abs made in the kitchen? Can you out-train a
bad diet? Or munch away a foul mood? See how
the science stacks up to determine the most potent
p84 7 Minutes to Stronger
MUS CL E
how to see the world upside down. weapon in your health and fitness arsenal.
FATHERHOOD
HE ALT H
94 102
F I TN E S S
SEPTEMBER 2021 5
EDITOR’S LETTER menshealth.com.au Men's Health Australia @MensHealthAU @MensHealthAU
AUSTRALIAN
DAD ISSUE
What makes a modern-day hero? If you’re hooked
on a certain film genre, you might say superhuman
SCOTT HENDERSON
strength, virtuousness and a commitment to defend Editor
and protect the good people of your land. Perhaps even
BEN JHOTY
a gritty origin story. And spandex. Deputy Editor
But what about in the real world? DANIEL WILLIAMS
Like almost every former schoolkid, I remember Associate Editor
being assigned my first major writing task. I was Not all heroes wear capes: JASON LEE
about 10 years old, and it was sometime between MH editor Scott Henderson, aged Creative Director
two, with his dad, Harry.
earning my pen licence and learning the game of CHRISTOPHER RILEY
bullrush. The theme: who is your hero and why? Contributing Editor
My answer back then came as easily as it does now: my dad. The previous NIKOLINA SKORIC
weekend had been spent at the beach, where I found myself caught in a rip that Digital Editor
was dragging me out into the Tasman. With the ocean floor invisible and the JESSICA CAMPBELL
outlook, from my angle, grim, I panicked, causing me to ingest salt water in Digital Content Writer
great gulps. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, I felt an arm wrap around me from HANNAH CHAPMAN
behind, simultaneously hoisting me skyward and pulling me towards the sand. Contributing Designer
My rescuer was none other than my father.
It was an act that now, more than 20 years later, I’m sure he doesn’t even
recall. Such is the way with heroes: what seem to them like simple and instinctive
acts of necessity are, to their recipients, feats of extraordinary courage and
capability. That moment not only provided me with a hero (and a subject for my IAN BROOKS
writing assignment), but also inspired me to become a lifesaver for more than 15 Chief Executive Officer
years at the very beach where I was rescued. And although I’m not yet the hero LLOYD O’HARTE
I see in my father, maybe that spell in the tower provides a poetic setting for my Executive Director
own origin story, should there ever be a clamour for its telling. LEE MCLACHLAN
As I’ve grown, so too has the breadth of Papa Hendo’s influence. As our Creative Services
relationship has evolved from father and son to great mates, he’s been a pillar of JULIE HUGHES
inspiration and font of wisdom when it comes to family, relationships, health, Subscription Manager
finances and sport. In the eyes of all of his kids, he’s our family’s eternal optimist. subscribe@paragonmedia.com.au
He’s also our biggest fan, our champion and, in every sense of the word, our hero. NATALIE WARD
There’s a reason why father figures play such formative roles in our lives and National Brand Manager
become our biggest inspiration. Biological or assigned, they provide a blueprint
RACHEL SULLIVAN
for manhood. Whether we choose to follow that blueprint or try to draw up a new National Partnerships & Integration Manager
one of our own is up to us. Either way, that blueprint is their legacy, a playbook
passed to the next generation of men – for better or worse. JORDAN LOZINA
Partnerships & Integration Manager
Because, heroes or not, fathers are also flawed. They’re human and make
mistakes. Many father-son relationships have complications. In some cases, those CHRIS MATTHEWS
complications provide us with some of our most profound moments of learning Partnerships & Integration Manager
and growth. The role of a father is not fixed. But while it changes according to JULIA PASCALE
circumstances, its importance never dims. Fathers are the great driving force Content Activations Coordinator
behind the next generation. And great power begets great responsibility.
In our inaugural ‘Dedicated to Dads’ issue, we pay tribute to father figures
everywhere, while reflecting on the qualities of fathers passed, including a
recent paternal passing within our own MH family. And as we’ve been reminded DEBI CHIRICHELLA KIM ST. CLAIR BODDEN
during the creation of this issue, you don’t need to have children of your own President, SVP/Editorial
to approach life in a fatherly manner. We implore you to share and impart your Hearst Magazines & Brand Director
hard-won wisdom to a generation beyond your own, with the aim of building a INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS CHLOE O’BRIEN
Australia, China, Germany, Italy, Deputy Brands Director
better future for us all. Pretty darn heroic. Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Poland,
Portugal, Spain, UK, US
6 MEN’S HE ALTH
HUGO BOSS AUSTRALIA PHONE +61 3 9474 6310
BOSS.COM
ASK MH
THE BIG QUESTION
Simple changes to
your lifestyle can
slice away your
odds of cancer.
WORDS: THOMAS LING; PHOTOGRAPHY: MAX OPPENHEIM
8 MEN’S HE ALTH
ANCIENT SOLUTION TO ASK THE GIRLS IN THE OFFICE
A MODERN PROBLEM
Ask the MH girls the questions you can’t ask anyone else. They’re three
Q How am I going to upgrade my digs women who speak their mind, so don’t expect sugar-coated answers
in this crazy property market?
A If thou wilt make a man happy, add
not unto his riches but take away from
I really like this girl at work.
his desires. – Epicurus; b. 341 BC
But is it worth trying to
navigate the minefield of
TEXT A RUNNING COACH an office relationship? – AC
‘I don’t want to overshare, but I’m
chafing post-run. Soothe me, please!’ Lizza: Yes! My parents met exploring? First know that.
at work, and they’ve been Nikolina: Also, if it kicks
Friday 5:30pm married for 40-plus years. off, do it on the DL. Don’t
Nikolina: I know a few make it obvious to your
There’s no chance I can focus on a PB. couples who have met colleagues because if it
It’s all pain, no gain! at work. I don’t think it’s doesn’t work out, it’ll just
a reason you shouldn’t be awkward for everyone.
I hear you. Take a shower! Keep it lukewarm to get to know someone. Lizza: And because you
soothe your skin and pat yourself dry – rubbing Maybe not so much in the don’t want the extra
will cause more pain. Then stick some Sudocrem
office, though – maybe pressure of your
on your sore bits.
lunch breaks. colleagues watching your
Lizza: It’s easy to see how every move and talking
The pain is gone! But I NEVER want
colleagues can form an about you guys.
that again. Any tips?
attraction. You spend so Nikolina: Because you
much time together. share a workplace, you
Your running outfit is probably too loose,
Nikolina: Yep. And you’re do want to be reasonably
causing friction. Try tight and breathable.
in the same field, so you’re confident that the
Seamless materials cost more, but are worth it.
more likely to have a similar relationship is going to last,
outlook and similar interests for a while at least.
More moisturiser, too? compared to a banker and Becky: Years ago, I actually
a social worker. went out with a colleague,
Body Glide balm is best. Apply it to areas Lizza: And you also get and then when we broke up,
at risk beforehand and bring it with you in to see them when they’re I quit the next week. I was
case you need a top-up. If your nipples are under stress – you see like, “I never want to see
still suffering, it’s time to go Kim K … how they deal with that. you again”.
You get to see the whole Nikolina: What if you
Post a pic of them online? range of their personality, hadn’t quit? What would it
so it’s a good gauge of have been like?
Tape them up! Kinesiology tape is ideal. whether you’ll be all right Becky: Well, it ended on
You can also use it on your heel and toes, outside of work. bad terms. So, it would have
if they’re rubbing. Stick to cream only for Becky: Exactly. You see been uncomfortable for
your groin. the highs. You see the everyone involved.
lows. You see each other Because I was young.
in every state. That’s why I wouldn’t have been
friendships, strong able to . . .
friendships, are formed at Nikolina: Get your
work, because you’re work done?
going through this shared Becky: Just be civil
experience. So, I can to him! I mean, every
Saturday 12:30pm imagine relationships situation is going to
Smashed it! New PB! would be the same. But be different, and I
And no more sore nips. my question for AC is: guess maturity
does she like you? What’s comes into play.
happening here? Is it just So, it’s not a case
you liking her, or is there a of never, but take LIZZA
BECKY
Answers by Matt Buck, connection you’re wary of it real slow. NIKOL INA
Coach of runningadventures.uk
SEPTEMBER 2021 9
THE 09
21
HEART HEALTH
Bulletproofs and flat whites may no longer be
extra longevity. measure up?
GOOD
hot on Insta, but adopting the latest coffee
craze could give your longevity a buzz
SEPTEMBER 2021 11
THE FEED 09 2 1
CORE PRINCIPLES
To achieve stability in both your
posture and your mental health, take
charge of your midsection with
Worthington’s foundational moves
B
1/ DEAD BUG
MUSCLE OUT Lie flat on your back with
your arms held above you.
YOUR ANXIETY
Building a strong core will do more
Bring your legs up, so your
knees are bent at 90° (A).
Slowly lower your right arm
and left leg, exhaling,
than earn you abs. Follow our advice keeping your back pushed
and it’ll correct your posture and Want to get your into the ground (B). Switch
bolster your defences against stress head straight? Put sides and repeat.
your back into it.
12 MEN’S HE ALTH
THE FEED 09 2 1
absorbing too many fatty acids. The amount of nettles Weed out
excess weight
you’d need to consume to see these beneficial effects in the kitchen.
equates to around 100g per day in humans – which,
conveniently, is about as much as you’d use in a bowl
of nettle soup.
To prepare the soup, gather some nettles growing
in a spot away from the road or other polluted areas.
Put on some gloves and a long-sleeved top and collect
400g of the leaves (about as many as you can fit in a
supermarket salad bag). Wash them before adding
them to your soup stock, boiling away the plant’s
stinging hairs. The leaves will wilt just like spinach
WORDS: LOUEE DESSENTJACKSON; PHOTOGRAPHY: ROWAN FEE RAPHY: DAN MATTHEWS
SEASON’S
EATINGS
s
p
you harvest new OYSTER MUSHROOMS DAMSONS HAZELNUTS DANDE MUSSELELSS
health benefits Stir-fried caps will Use these in Crush and sprinkle on The Steamed, these
lower cholesterol. jams to aid digestion. ice cream for coffee alternative full give your brain
a hit of protein. of antioxidants. function a boost.
14 MEN’S HE ALTH
LAST MAN STANDING:
LAPAGLIA HAS BEEN THE
STRONG AND SYMPATHETIC
CONSTANT OF A TV PHENOM.
16 MEN’S HE ALT H
ADVANTAGE
STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME
SURVIVAL INSTINCT
Survivor has often been referred to as the ultimate metaphor
for life, an unfiltered contest of strength and stamina versus
congeniality and cunning. With six seasons at the helm of the
Australian incarnation, JONATHAN LAPAGLIA knows a thing
or two about the strategies and ‘gameplay’ that will set you up
for success, regardless of your habitat
BY SCOT T HENDERSON PHOTOGR APHY BY NIGEL WRIGHT
SEPTEMBER 2021 17
ONE OF REALITY TV’S most compelling franchises, Survivor reflects LaPaglia from the set of the latest season, in the harsh
has achieved enduring popularity, no doubt due to the parallels Queensland outback. “You have to be socially aware and make sure
between island life and, well, reality. It’s a game played out in the you don’t tread on people’s toes to work your way up.”
elements, and yet the contestants’ challenges, conversations In the Survivor universe, LaPaglia would feature very near the top,
and alliances could just as easily occur among colleagues in rivalled only by US host Jeff Probst and the exotic locales. Both hosts
a CBD boardroom. command as much admiration as the best players themselves. If a
You could argue Survivor’s format trumps even Big Brother’s season of Survivor is indeed life in miniature, then LaPaglia, given his
as a social experiment – survival, after all, is the most basic human half-decade at the helm, must have some first-hand knowledge of
instinct. But what makes a survivor? the attributes common to winners.
Through an incredible 40 US seasons, the format has seen LaPaglia is somewhat the hybrid Survivor contestant: a
contestants divided into teams to battle it out for the title of ‘Sole former career as an emergency doctor ticks the brains box, while our
Survivor’ in an effort to answer this very question. Often grouped photoshoot provides clear evidence of his formidable brawn. Yet as
according to socioeconomic status, age and even, controversially, anyone who has had the good fortune to meet him will attest, it’s the
by race, the contestants’ trials and tribulations provide an self-identified ‘social’ game that Lapaglia has truly mastered. His
extraordinary insight into the nature of community, human interaction colleagues continually sing his praises, former contestants gush,
and the hardwired drive for supremacy. and further removed, fans can’t get enough of him onscreen.
The imminent sixth season of the rebooted Australian series In person, he’s humble, amicable and vulnerable, showing equal
will again adopt a theme, pitting ‘brawn’ against ‘brain’. It’s perhaps empathy for all contestants on the show. (Conversely, Probst is
one of the more relatable contests for young Australian men as they notorious for playing favourites.) It’s no surprise LaPaglia has risen to
weigh up traditional male stereotypes and fresher, more nuanced the top without stepping on any of those toes he’s acutely aware of.
conceptions of masculinity. Perhaps Lapaglia has picked up a tip or two on how to play the
Interestingly, returning host Jonathan LaPaglia seems to think game of life from watching contestants battle it out in the elements.
that perhaps neither brains nor brawn alone do a survivor make. But that seems unlikely, because the guy exudes authenticity: he’s
Rather, LaPaglia believes the key to modern-day survival lies in not a game player, but rather the real deal.
remaining socially adept. Then again, that’s exactly what a master of the game would have
“You’re trying to navigate your way through this social world,” you believe …
18 MEN’S HE ALTH
TACT I C S
MH Survivor’s a little bit different this have various other academics. But then with with them. But like I said, if you really look
year, back with a Brains vs Brawn theme, that, we have a politician. It’s not just book closely, they have both aspects. The
and filming in the outback. How has that smart. There’s also street-smart people characteristics really cross over between the
changed the game? mixed in with that as well. It’s kind of a two. We’re coming close to the end of the
JL The location has had a real impact on cross-section. game and they’re still talking that, “We want
the game, more than I anticipated, actually. a Brawn to win or we want a Brain to win”.
I mean, the conditions are so different from MH And ‘brawn’? I think it’s hilarious, because I don’t see the
tropical Fiji. Fiji is hot, but I think it’s a little JL It’s the same thing. Some of them difference between them anymore.
more difficult to be surviving here. It’s really are personal trainers. We have a couple
tough out here. It’s harsh. Obviously the of bodybuilders. We have a pro surfer. MH Entering your sixth season as host,
temperature is way hotter here than in Fiji. We have a correctional officer. So it what are the biggest lessons you’ve
It’s a different kind of heat. It’s an intense, encompasses not just physical strength, learned from watching the game play
searing heat that just cooks your brain. I but also mental strength. out firsthand?
mean, I’m out there for an hour and I’m a But having said that, like every season, JL I think if you look at Survivor
blubbering mess. I can’t even speak after when we introduce a theme, it’s really just superficially, it’s all about muscle. But
about an hour in that heat. a jumping-off point to tell a story, to start a there’s a lot more to it. It’s a very strategic
That has been particularly difficult for the narrative. And the truth is that there’s game. But what we’ve had more over the six
contestants. They’re exposed to that 24/7. crossover even between the tribes. It’s kind years is the social game, which is much
And then at night time sometimes, because of an artificial separation because there are more subtle. The premise of the game is
it’s desert, it’s the complete opposite. It people on the Brains who have physical that you need to vote people out, put them
becomes freezing cold. So they’re really strength and there are people on the Brawn on the jury in such a way that they’ll vote for
dealing with the extremes. who have the brains to navigate the game. you in the end. I think that requires a very
The other thing is there’s not much for So the truth is you need both of those to special social touch. So I guess that’s the
them to forage. There’s no real way for them make it in this game. I think that’s what you biggest lesson for me: that it’s the social game
to survive off the land. In Fiji, there’d be really start to see – that both tribes have that’s the most important.
coconuts, bananas, papaya. There’s none of elements of the other. In actual fact, that’s
that here. So that’s an issue. In Fiji, fish were not the complete story, because we’re still MH It’s clear that your own rig is in
plentiful. Here, not so much. I think they’re missing one crucial element and that is the unbelievable shape. How do you typically
getting some yabbies and stuff like that in social game. In many ways, I think the social train outside of filming?
creeks, but it’s been a big difference. game is probably the most important part JL I’ve been training a long time, I guess,
And then, of course, you’ve got the of Survivor. Even though they’re doing probably since I was like 16. I started when
wildlife. There’s a plethora of deadly snakes well, even though they’re really living up I was a goalkeeper in soccer and when I got
and spiders that could kill you at every turn. to their namesake in tribes, you really start to the age of 16, I had to move up a division,
So I think it’s been really tough for the to see that social game come out. Because and I ended up being smaller than everyone
contestants. Certainly tough for us from a it has to. You can’t progress in this game else. All the guys seemed to be a lot bigger
production point of view, operating under without it. at the time. So I started training more and it
these conditions. And for that, I think it’s kind of started from there. I’ve just been
added a whole new level for the game. MH A previous theme was Champions consistent ever since.
vs Contenders. When contestants were I’m kind of old school. It’s alternating
MH With the new concept Brains vs put in those boxes and given those weights one day with running the next. And
Brawn, what constitutes ‘brains’? labels, those qualities seem to amplify. a rest day every, like, five or six days. But
JL We have some people that Have you found that happening again that’s it. I’ve tried some yoga when I can get
academically are well-accomplished. We with these tribes? myself motivated, but otherwise it’s just old
have doctors, we have a researcher, we JL Yeah, look, you’re right, and they run school weights and running.
SEPTEMBER 2021 19
“I END UP A BASKET
CASE AT THE END OF IT.
THAT’S WHY I GO SEE MUM”
20 MEN’S HE ALTH
TACT I C S
MH And how does that change when you’re MH Will you return to LA after Survivor?
on set in the outback? JL Honestly, I’m going to go back. My mother
JL Well, it’s the temperature that makes it lives in Brisbane. I’m going to go visit her for four
difficult to run and also the schedule is so brutal. or five days. I have a couple of days to do stuff for
It’s just hard to find the time. But I still try and the show. Then I’m going to head back to LA,
squeeze in whatever I can. Where I’m staying, because it’s where my family is. And honestly, I
there’s a small gym with some weights. think I’m just going to fall over for a month. I’m so
exhausted from the shoot. It’s been real tough for
MH Is your diet pretty clean, generally, no the contestants. It’s been tough for us, too. So I’m
matter where you are? going to fall over for a couple of months and try
JL Yes. I’m not crazy about my diet. I eat what I and recover and then go from there.
want. I just make sure it’s relatively balanced in
terms of carbohydrates, proteins and fat. I used MH You’re under a lot of pressure – time
to be a doctor, so I have a science background, pressure and performance pressure. Do you
so I have a rough idea what the body needs, but have any go-to strategies or ways to manage
I’m not maniacal about it. I still eat sweets and your mental health?
stuff like that. I’m not counting calories. I’m not JL I don’t. I wish I did. I wish I was better with
weighing stuff. I’m not doing any of that stuff. I stuff. I wish I was better at meditating and stuff
guess it’s kind of intuitive, you know? like that. But honestly, I know some people,
I really don’t do any special diet or any of when I tell them [about the stress I’m under], it’s
that water loading and loading up with sodium like, “Really?”
and then stripping away the water and all that But I’m working nonstop, from the minute I get
sort of stuff. That just seems like a lot of hard up in the morning to the minute I go to bed at
work. It’s hard enough training. night. I’m in front of the camera, or if I’m not, I’m
This is the first time I’ve had a kitchen in six preparing to get in front of the camera and all the
seasons of Survivor. I’m actually enjoying that material. I don’t even feel like I have time to take
because I can prepare my own meals. care of my mental health. It feels like it’s a sprint
Normally I have to rely on catering and – a three-month sprint until the end. Then I end
stuff like that. It becomes tricky and a bit up being a basket case at the end of it. That’s
unhealthy. So I’m enjoying the fact that I why I go and see Mum.
have my own kitchen. Honestly, I don’t have a lot of time just to
ruminate. It’s just coming at me so fast that
you’ve got to sink or swim. You’ve just got to get
on with it. It’s not until it’s all said and done that it
starts to hit you. Like, “Whoa!” I feel like I’ve been
hit by a Mack truck.
SEPTEMBER 2021 21
MUS C LE
THE
EXERCISE
YOU’RE NOT
DOING
1
GRO
Lie on the fl
raise your arm
Good for your back and even your legs up
better for your six-pack, the your
yo ur k ne
nees
es tow
owaa
Point your kne
DEAD BUG CRUNCH delivers the ceiling, w
an injury-free burn to your calves paral
ground. Keep y
midsection. Get down to it
2 pointing
ARMS DEAL
RPHOSE YOUR ABS Extend one leg
leg, with your lower
th this thorax-busting back pinned to the floor. Keeping
e dead bug crunch is an both of your arms straight, lower
core exercise that requires them towards the floor over your
oordination and plenty of head. (In a regular dead bug, you’d
ays Chris Jillard, a PT at lower them one at a time.)
Stren
Strength
gth.
a pretty
of your core
strength, th he exercise e is
best used in lower-in inten
tensit
ten
tensit
sityy
workouts,” he adds. “It’ It’s
t’s mostt
effect
eff ective
ive whhen com
complepleted
ted ununder
der
control and d not for speed.”
Focus on o mastering the original
dead bug technique before you
attempt a higher
likewi
likewise se be
h
efore
ef ore ad
number of reps, and
addin
dingg the
the cru
crunch
nch 3
element. “P Practise by doing fewer THE CRUNCH
reps, startin ng off by moving just your Ensuring that your lower
legs, then just your arms – and finally back is still pinned to
try to move your arms and one leg at the floor, bring your
the same time,”ime,” says Jillard. ar ms up
arms up to the
the starting
sta
tart
rtin
ingg
He suggests adding the move to position and crunch up,
your warm-up, to allow you to focus
on the technique while feeling fresh.
bringing your shoulders
towards your hips.
4
“In time, you could insert it in BACK TO THE FLOOR
between exercises,” he says. “It Lower your upper back
would work well in a workout of eight to thhe floor andd return
deadlifts, six dead bug crunches and the extended leg back
a 30-second elbow plank. Rest for 60 to the starting position.
seconds and repeat 2-3 times.” So, That’s one rep. Repeat
slow
slo w itit down
down anandd make
make lilike
ke a bug
bug. usin
us ingg th
thee ot
othe
herr le
legg fo
forr
the next rep.
22 MEN’S HE ALT H
ADV
A DDV
ERTO
V E RRTTRI
O RI
RAL
I AL
A LF EFATU
E A TRE
URE
flex your
personality
SEPTEMBER 2021 25
You can navigate through a
feed of live conversations – your
“hallway” and “rooms”, in
Clubhouse-speak – and pop in
and out of the ones that pique
your interest (semen retention,
“CLUBHOUSE IS SMACK IN THE
for one). Whenever they want,
a moderator can move you from MIDDLE OF ITS GOLD-RUSH
the audience to join the other
speakers “onstage”. PHASE, WITH USERS FLOODING
When I started using
Clubhouse at the beginning of THE PLATFORM BY THE MILLIONS
the year, I was excited to see
rooms with names like Men’s AND INFLUENCERS POUNCING ON
Group and Men’s Mental Health:
Inspiring Stories, where mods THE OPPORTUNITY WITH VARYING
were inviting men to get
vulnerable and share their
feelings – or so it seemed at
DEGREES OF TACT”
first glance.
I was a prime candidate. In
my teens and 20s, a personal
battle with sexual performance
anxiety made it difficult for me
to be emotionally available to
others. Working with a
psychologist helped me
overcome the performance
anxiety, and learning to be open
about uncomfortable feelings room, a conversation about Facebook Group. “We have be the case. As to potentially
helped me overall. I’ve attended the supposed physical (and a following of men who have soliciting clients through
plenty of men’s discussion spiritual!) benefits of denying been to our other rooms, and Clubhouse in the future?
groups, where guys sit in a yourself ejaculation. “We’ll go they get the energy,” he told me “Maybe,” he said. “I guess so.”
circle and talk feelings. Sounds to Jason next,” Rad said. “Jason, after the session. “We might I told myself I’d had a
corny, but they’ve made me feel what’s on your mind? Please call on them first so that it sets one-off weird experience, and I
less alone, and I hoped these share.” I unmuted and the tone for the type of sharing kept exploring. In a room called
Clubhouse rooms might mimic explained how I’d tried the and the level of vulnerability Truth Tellers, a dozen men
that cathartic experience of practice during my bedroom that is expected.” shared their experiences with
getting stuff off my chest. struggles but ultimately Initially, I concluded that my impostor syndrome. I spent a
Clubhouse’s founders, Paul abandoned it. semen-retention story hadn’t half hour listening to their
Davison and Rohan Seth, seem “Some of us who’ve tried been deep enough. But after pass-the-mic style of
to have a similar vision. “The semen retention, we’re like talking more with Rad, I learned conversation and eventually
intonation, inflection and war-level propaganda about it,” that, in addition to running a shared my own story. The men
emotion conveyed through Rad answered with an air of wealth-management business, onstage toggled their mute
voice allow you to pick up practiced warmth. “But I do he has a coaching business buttons, causing the
on nuance and form uniquely want to create balance in this that offers master classes on microphone icons on their
human connections with room, so really grateful for topics like wealth creation, profile photos to flash – the
others,” they wrote on the Jason being up here.” Was he, sexual mastery and – hold up Clubhouse version of applause.
company blog last July. though? Unlike some of the – semen retention as part of a Later, a college student came
(Clubhouse’s press team didn’t earlier participants, I was swiftly dopamine detox class. He also onstage with a party-hat icon,
respond to my request to removed from the stage. It was teaches “high-conscious sales”, meaning he was new to the
interview the founders.) I like the music had started a practice he described as the platform. He asked how to deal
wanted in. The anxiety and playing during my Oscar ability to “sell from a space of with impostor syndrome amid
loneliness brought on by the acceptance speech. Had I done connection . . . instead of trying the pressure of the Ivy League.
pandemic had left me something wrong? to manipulate and close”. A handful of men, including me,
especially eager to form those Rad is the founder of Men’s I wanted to take him at his offered heartfelt advice. I was
“uniquely human connections” Tribe, the semen-retention word when he said he doesn’t optimistic about the integrity
with like-minded guys. room’s overarching masculinity- use Men’s Tribe to seek out of the experience.
Which is how I stumbled into focused “club” – basically the clients, but I couldn’t ignore a “I don’t even think about
the What Is Semen Retention? Clubhouse equivalent of a nagging feeling that it might not [making money off
26 MEN’S HE ALTH
MI ND
Clubhouse],” Truth Tellers and I market to them,’ ” bracing myself for discomfort. seemed to help other men
founder Shawn Nason later told Wellman says. “Now it’s, ‘I am Gupta welcomed 10 new do the same.
me. “What I think about is, can a human. I’m going to make audience members to join him As Gupta wrapped up the
we reach the men we need to human connections to all these onstage. “If you haven’t been session, I was shocked to
reach? And I believe if we do other people, and then part of Men’s Group before, it’s realise that the discomfort I’d
that, a monetisation piece eventually I’m going to make nothing to be scared of,” he expected never set in. It had
might come out, or it might a product and, because these announced. “It’s quite a been the closest thing I’d
not.” A day after our follow-up people like me as a human, vulnerable but fun experience.” experienced to a real-life men’s
conversation, I received an they’re going to buy it’. ” I listened as he and his group on Clubhouse. Had I
invite from a Truth Tellers After visiting more than co-moderator laid out the found the pure human
community moderator to a dozen similar rooms, I protocol for the room by connection I’d been looking for,
Nason’s virtual book tour. wandered ambivalently into demonstrating how the other or was Gupta just that good a
I had a similar experience one called Men’s Group, where men should share. “There’s a soft salesman?
in the Men’s Mental Health: I noticed that the lead weird sadness in my system,” The answer turned out to be
Inspiring Stories room. To get moderator, Kapil Gupta, was a Gupta said as he described both. Gupta told me he avoids
the conversation started, the self-described “Master Coach” how disconnected he’d felt that soliciting clients from Men’s
leader, Adam Hindley, shared specialising in “transformation”. past week. The way he slowly Group, but he doesn’t have
that he’d struggled with body Here we go again, I thought, unspooled his emotions an issue with the practice
dysmorphia. Other men shared overall – only with when it’s
difficult moments: issues with done in an underhanded way.
drinking, thoughts of suicide. “People who are tuned in
But again, there was a catch: definitely feel it,” he said. That
Hindley and two colleagues run had been the key difference
a physical- and mental-health
performance coaching 6 WAYS THE INTERNET between Gupta’s group and the
rooms I’d visited before: how
business in the UK, where they the experience felt. Gupta was
charge £747 (more than
$1300) for a six-week program.
Toward the end of the talk,
CAN ACTUALLY raw and honest in a way
I hadn’t encountered on
Clubhouse; he conveyed his
Hindley offered his number-
one tip to improve mental
health: “Having a coach. Even
HELP YOU BE A value as a coach simply by
being himself. If that’s great
marketing, more power to him.
the best coaches have
coaches.” It felt like an
over-rehearsed play.
BETTER HUMAN The problem is, how many
guys not on a Men’s Health
assignment would persevere
When I later spoke to through all the slippery sales
Hindley, I shared my concern IF YOU WA N T TO... agendas to finally find a safe
that Clubhouse’s “safe spaces”
TRY... space like this? Clubhouse is
might actually be “sales C RO W D S OURC E smack in the middle of its
spaces”. He seemed earnest in
A DV ICE Reddit’s “A m I the gold-rush phase, with users
his intention to help men “turn Asshole?” subreddit flooding the platform by the
their mess into a positive millions and influencers
message”, but he also admitted G ATHER SOME pouncing on the opportunity
C OUR AGE Brené Brow n’s TED
that Clubhouse is, in effect, with varying degrees of tact.
Talk “T he Power of
“the top of the [sales] funnel. In the end, I might have
Vulnerability”
That’s where the majority of found a few “uniquely human
people come in to find out C A LM THE CH ATT connections” in Clubhouse’s
about our Facebook Group ER The Headspace men’s groups, but the overall
IN YOUR MIND
and our trainings”. meditation app experience left me feeling the
Mariah Wellman, a Ph.D. opposite of how I do during IRL
candidate studying social OPEN UP A LI TT LE discussions: disheartened
media and its influencers at the The ManKind Projec and on edge rather than
t’s
University of Utah, says the Virtual Men’s Group energised and free. Men’s
behaviour I encountered in the discussion groups only work
masculinity-themed groups EXORCISE YOUR when everyone lets down their
DEMONS Talkspace online ther
and elsewhere on Clubhouse apy walls. It’s hard to do that in the
was indeed influencer digital Wild West, where your
marketing. “The old business UNLOCK THE senses are on constant high
model was, ‘I create this thing, MEA NING OF IT A Cour sera’s free alert for danger in the form of
then I go figure out who it’s for, LL philosophy cour ses an influencer’s stealthy pitch.
SEPTEMBER 2021 27
THE HEALTH SNOB’S GUIDE TO
FRESH PASTA
The Italian staple might put the fear of
God into the low-carb crew but, with
the right sauce, pasta can be your
optimal fuel for quick-fire gains
B ACK T O B A SIC S
1 Good Italian food is all about keeping things minimal – that’s
why cream in a carbonara is as divisive as pineapple slices
on pizza. To make your own pasta, you need only three simple, healthy
ingredients: finely-milled “00” flour, free-range eggs and high-quality
olive oil. We enlisted Jay Patel, founder of London Italian eatery
Legare (legarelondon.com), to deliver a crash course in K E E P O N R O L L ING
lip-smacking nourishment.
2 Your most important investment when it
comes to high-quality, healthy pasta will
be in the right flour. Italian “00” flour is finer than
A Pappardelle all-purpose varieties, resulting in a silkier, chewier
When you’re working with a mouthful and, crucially, less gluten. Chefs swear
broad, flat sheet of pasta dough by Caputo (basile.com.au).
(see method, right), it makes Pour 200g of 00 flour into a stoneware dough
sense that the easiest pasta dish. Then, in another bowl, whisk 1.5 teaspoons
to make is the broad, flat
of antioxidant-rich extra virgin olive oil and two
pappardelle. All you need to do is
roll up your pasta sheet and cut it
eggs. Go for eggs with intensely coloured yolks
into 2.5cm-thick strips. – these tend to be higher in omega-3s. Make a
well in the flour, pour in the egg mix, then use a
B Tagliolini fork to combine it all from the inside out. When it’s
This is essentially spaghetti too firm for the fork, mix and knead with your
but easier to make. Most pasta hands for 10-15 minutes (add water if necessary),
machines come with a tagliolini until you have a smooth dough. Wrap in cling wrap
attachment, allowing you to feed
and refrigerate for at least an hour. Cut in half and
your dough through the cutter
for a square-edged alternative
flatten with a rolling pin.
to your standard Bolognese Patel recommends a Marcato Atlas 150
accompaniment. (victoriasbasement.com.au), the gold standard of
pasta machines, to roll this into 2mm-thick sheets
C Tagliatelle and shape according to your preference.
One of the most popular pastas,
tagliatelle was allegedly
invented in the 15th century to
emulate Lucrezia Borgia’s
golden hair. But don’t let that
unappetising image put you off.
To make yours, use the same
method as pappardelle but cut
thinner strips – about 1cm.
D
Orecchiette
To turn your pasta into these
morsels, follow the steps until
you have a smooth dough, then
cut it into chunks. Push these
down using a table knife until the
edges curl over the knife, then
invert from the other side with
your thumb to give them an
ear-like shape.
28 MEN’S HE ALTH
NU TR I T I ON
3
SH A P E UP
Pasta shapes are best
matched to their
sauces. Thick, meaty
sauces are better when
coating pastas with a
flat surface – such as
pappardelle – while
thinner pastas suit
lighter, oilier sauces.
Here, Patel shares four
pasta recipes to match
the shapes you’ve
learned to make. And
if you want an
authentically Italian A B
taste, don’t forget to salt
the pasta water and – Omega
g Bomb Anchovy y Metabolism-Firing
g
for a deliciously viscous and Garlic Tagliolini Sausage Pappardelle
sauce – keep some Serves two METHOD Serves two METHOD
close by. INGREDIENTS In a large pan, cook the omega-3-rich INGREDIENTS Heat the oil in a pan and fry the
• Tagliolini, 240g anchovy fillets in the olive oil until they • Pappardelle, 240g onions until light brown. Add the
• Anchovy fillets melt. Add the minced garlic and gently • Olive oil, 1tbsp sausages, minced garlic, rosemary,
(preferably Ortiz), 6 cook through, then add the chilli flakes • A yellow onion metabolism-spiking chilli flakes and
PASTA • Olive oil, 2tbsp
• Garlic, 2 cloves
and fry for a minute. In a separate pan, • Italian sausages, 3 bay leaves. When the sausages are
Eggplant
Eggplant has fewer
kilojoules than an
energising bowl of
spaghetti, and
contains vitamin C
and potassium.
WORDS: BOBBY PALMER; PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL HEDGE
Butternut
Squash
This is rich in
vitamins, minerals
and antioxidants –
and is also linked to
several markers of C D
improved digestive
health. Muscle Food Tagliatelle Doctor’s Orders
Alla Carbonara Prosciutto Orecchiette
INGREDIENTS METHOD INGREDIENTS METHOD
Serves two “A proper carbonara has no cream,” Serves two In a large pan over a medium heat, melt the
Seaweed • Tagliatelle, 240g says Patel. Instead, combine the yolks • Orecchiette, 240g butter until frothy, ensuring it doesn’t burn.
Ultra low in kJs, kelp • Egg yolks, 3 and Parmesan in a bowl and set aside. • Butter, a knob Add the prosciutto and cook until crispy.
noodles are a source • Parmesan, 75g, grated Crisp the lardons in a large, dry pan. • Prosciutto di Parma, Add immunity-boosting cherry tomatoes,
• Pancetta, guanciale Add black pepper. Cook the pasta in 75-90g, thinly sliced season, then add rocket and toss so the
of vitamins such as
or thick-cut bacon, salted boiling water for two minutes, and roughly torn heat wilts it. Boil the pasta for two minutes.
B12 and even vitamin
75g-100g, lardons then add to the lardon pan. Remove • Cherry tomatoes, 220g Remove and add to the mix. Toss and serve
K. Serve with oily fish
• Black pepper, lots the lardon pan from the heat and pour • Wild rocket, with a sprinkle of Parmesan. “This is also
for extra omega-3. (we suggest 20 turns a large handful
in the Parmesan/egg mixture, stirring great served as a room-temperature pasta
of the mill) • Parmesan, to taste
to avoid curdling. Add some pasta salad,” says Patel.
water if it’s too thick, then serve.
SEPTEMBER 2021 29
HE ALTH
1
P LUGGE D IN
1
GOOD BAD
2
T IP T HE S C A L E S
4
“The tendency to endlessly “Any form of scrolling that
scroll through bad news story increases your anxiety is
after bad news story has been harmful,” says Goodin. “If you
turbocharged over the past 12 notice that your mood
months,” warns Tanya Goodin, 3 4 is deteriorating, you need
an expert in digital detox. to log off and do something
“Doomscrolling” is a habit that completely different.” Easily said,
is specific to your smartphone. OFF but don’t we need social media
Unlike your TV, the hi-tech to stay aware of what’s going on
device in your pocket is always in the world? “Cutting yourself off
there, offering you constant isn’t good for your mental
5
access to a depressing echo wellbeing, any more than
chamber of negativity. It’s like over-consuming the news is,”
having the DailyMailOnline says Goodin. “The key,
comments section on as ever, is balance.”
an intravenous drip.
2
AC CE N T UAT E T HE CL E A N BR E A KS
5
NEGATI V E Remember when the news was
“Your brain has a tendency on TV at 6pm and 10pm, and
to zoom in on the bad that was it? Goodin
stuff,” explains Goodin. recommends that you live by
“The algorithms that control a similar schedule to stay
newsfeeds take this into informed without risking
account and ramp it up.” over-exposure. “Breaks from bad
WORDS: TOM WARD I ILLUSTRATION: PETER GRUNDY
30 MEN’S HE ALTH
“Badminton brought
the skills I had from
tennis and added
tactics, agility and
fast pace”
GRONYA SOMERVILLE
She is one of Australia’s finest in the Olympic sport of
badminton. Reaching the summit has involved seizing an
unlikely opportunity and training diligently to overcome
limitations that might have discouraged a lesser woman
BY DANIEL WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARNAUD DOMANGE
32 MEN’S HE ALTH
W O M EN I N SP O RT
BEFORE WHAT MIGHT BE CALLED the MH Tokyo will be a test of your mental and asked her a lot about her diet. Over time,
turning point of her young life, Gronya strength. What are your keys for producing I’ve adopted it myself more seriously. I’m not
Somerville had played badminton once or your best under pressure? strictly vegan, but I eat predominantly vegan.
twice at primary school using volleyball nets. GS My women’s doubles partner [Setyana Physiologically, I haven’t really noticed any
Then, one day when she was 12, her PE Mapasa] and I are still working on that as a difference whatsoever. The change didn’t
teacher handed her a flyer inviting girls to pair. In doubles, there’s that added dynamic make me feel any better or any worse. It
attend a “fitness day” on which they could try of trying to be on the same page. We’re didn’t seem to affect me in any way.
out for the privilege of being put on a path working with a sports psychologist, and I
that might lead to their representing Australia think, with us, it’s getting us to the right level MH Why stick with it, then?
in badminton at the Olympics. of arousal, making sure we’re pumped up to GS Because it’s more ethically and
“So, I went along and did the fitness test a certain point before we step on court, environmentally [sound], and I feel like I
and played the competitive games, and at because we can be a bit slow starting. If make overall better food choices by keeping
the end of the day we had a hit with some we’re in a good space as a pair and it in mind. A vegie burger rather than a meat
of the national players,” Somerville recalls. communicating well and supporting each burger . . . the additives within the vegie
“There was a guy there hitting all these trick other, usually we can play some of our best burger are healthier. Small things like that.
shots, and I fell in love with the sport.” badminton. But once that falls apart, it’s really
Fourteen years later, Melbourne’s hard for us to get it back. MH What’s it like being an elite competitor
Somerville, the daughter of a British mother in a sport that gets so little attention?
and a Chinese father, is preparing for the MH People can watch you train at GS It’s a little frustrating. We see the kind of
Tokyo Games, where she’ll compete in the gronyasomerville.com – and having tuned respect and admiration that badminton gets
women’s and mixed doubles events. in myself, it’s clear you don’t muck around in Asia especially, and it would be nice for
Competition for medals will be fierce in a when it comes to building serious lower- Australians to experience it the way we do.
sport historically dominated by China and body power. It’s just not traditional for kids here to start
featuring emerging powerhouses Indonesia, GS That’s really been a long journey for playing badminton – which I understand. But
Japan, South Korea and Denmark. But a me because when I started out I was very it would be awesome to get more of them
super-fit and determined Somerville – an pigeon-toed – weak glutes, weak quads and involved and have more people see the game
eight-time Oceania women’s doubles a lot of knee and ankle injuries. For me, played at a high level and to appreciate the
champion – is primed, in concert with her strength training has really changed my speed and athleticism involved.
partners, to produce the outstanding physiology. My feet aren’t as pigeon-toed
performances of her life. and everything is just a lot biomechanically MH What are the qualities you most value
better. It’s just come from a lot of glute- in a partner? A life partner, that is, not a
strengthening over the years – a lot of crab doubles partner.
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GRONYA SOMERVILLE walks, as well as squatting with heavy GS I’ve been 10 years in a relationship with
Men’s Health: So, before you discovered weights. That said, I’m never trying to make [New Zealand badminton player Maika
badminton, you’d played a fair bit of tennis? huge gains in the gym. My sessions are all Phillips], a lot of that done long-distance
PHOTOGRAPHY: INSTAGRAM @GRONYASOMERVILLE
Gronya Somerville: Yep, as well as circus about trying to keep me on the court longer before he moved to Melbourne in 2019. For
gymnastics and Little Athletics. Tennis I was by avoiding injury and building up my body me, the main thing is honesty. If you’re not
pretty good at, and the coaches wanted me to take the competitive load. honest, you can’t build a relationship.
to take it more seriously, but I just never had Respect. Loyalty is a huge one. And then I
a passion for it. Badminton, though, was like a MH The word is you follow a vegetarian or guess the humour and keeping each other
perfect crossover: it brought in the skills I had vegan diet. What have been the effects on happy, and just really wanting the best for
from tennis and added all the tactics, your performance of going meat-free? each other.
decision-making, agility and fast pace that GS That started about five years ago from
kept me engaged. having a vegan friend, who was in MH Do you have a life philosophy?
Switzerland at the time. I visited her for a GS Fulfill your potential, in whatever that
weekend when I was competing in Europe might be.
SEPTEMBER 2021 33
MI N D
BEATS CHILL
VS
e A perforr
h
he by A
l
leased. i
Need a lift between warm-up and WOD? RECOVERY Brunel University found that more sedate
According to Sheffield Hallam University,
music paced between 125-135bpm made
125-135 20-30 tunes can help you bounce back quicker. Half
an hour of listening to slow, wordless music
people feel more driven during rest. BPM MIN can dial down your cortisol levels.
BEAT MATCH
If you find it hard to get started, stick to a MIND GAMES Listening to Mozart for 10 minutes can give
rapid BPM. In one study, almost a third of
people said that beats were a powerful
motivator to get a workout under way.
30% 10 MIN you a short-term brain boost, improving your
reasoning and spatial awareness. Perfect for
complicated drills.
WORDS: KIERAN ALGER; ILLUSTRATION: SCRATCHINPOST.CO.UK
A Canadian study found that you can GET IN SYNC Soothing music can be used as part of a
enhance your HIIT workouts through the “dissociative strategy”: during exercises such
process of “entrainment”, in which your as long runs, it works to take your mind off
brain syncs your body with fast music. fatigue and discomfort.
34 MEN’S HE ALTH
TACT I C S
IT BEGINS AT 4am on a Saturday, a throbbing and Sonya speaks for me while I undergo a CAT scan that
unceasing pain behind my left temple. I try to go back thankfully rules out a brain aneurysm.
to sleep but can’t – the second missed clue – and The bad news, the neurologist says, is that he’s
around 6am I face another day of weekend work. seeing more guys like me, for whom the pandemic
It’s the autumn of 2020 and I’m at risk of losing my accentuates stress that goes ignored until their anxiety
job at ESPN. Two decades of outworking others – by levels rise so high that they double over.
writing books and hosting a podcast, among other Seventy-seven percent of us say we’re way more
pursuits – and of taking pride in friends saying, “How stressed now, according to a Cleveland Clinic survey.
do you do it all?” has convinced me I must do even Fifty-nine percent say COVID isolation has done more
more now. I should find solace in all the skills I’ve damage to our mental health than the 2008 economic
developed to support my wife, Sonya, our three kids crisis. Yet 66 percent of us live out the old-line mores of
and my mother-in-law, who moved in when she retired. masculinity and rarely discuss the pain and the impact
But I don’t. the pandemic has had on our mental health.
By midday, I can’t focus and have to lie down. Soon “And so you end up here,” the neurologist says. His
I’m hyperventilating as searing pain spreads to my advice? Don’t come back.
stomach and then to my fingers and toes, suddenly The stress I’m feeling! I decide I have to do
inflamed and too sensitive to touch anything. At the ER, something about it.
SEPTEMBER 2021 37
LESSON 1 LESSON 2
IDE N T IF Y W HE N NO T T O HUS T L E T RUS T T HE P OW E R
I have to do nothing. That’s what I settle on with my therapist: OF IDL E NE S S
incorporate idleness into my day. “Rest will relax you,” he says. Then a In my emerging downtime, I read books like
few weeks later, I get a call from my boss with an executive from HR on Andrew Smart’s Autopilot: The Art and Science
the line and they lay me off. Now the crisis is real. I can feel the anxiety of Doing Nothing, which articulates a theory
and fear of looming destitution pushing me towards more crazed for why unplugging is so important. When
productivity, fuelled by the urge – primal and real – to provide. My regions of the brain “do nothing,” Smart tells
therapist recommends I start with a walk. me, they’re actually “organising themselves
It’s not the prescribed nothing — I still scoff at nothing — but the for later use.”
walk that will separate me from the everything on my laptop. I keep This neural recuperation has a name, the
it short, staying on the shaded street of my quiet suburb, listening to resting-state network (RSN), and also a
a biography of Douglas MacArthur because, c’mon, I’m not not going function: to foster creativity. That’s according
to be productive. But I do in fact feel calmer yet energised when I to the neurologist who laid the groundwork for
get back, which makes me curious. Can doing nothing be a the study of the RSN: Dr Marcus Raichle of
productivity hack? Washington University School of Medicine.
It turns out Thomas Edison and his employees would spend hours Colleagues thought Raichle was crazy in the
doing nothing but pondering. It led to some of the team’s greatest early 2000s for hooking people up to MRIs
insights. Bill Gates has long taken what he calls a think week, during and observing what happened brainwise
which he goes alone to a remote area to simply read and think. That when the subjects did nothing physically.
inspired many Microsoft wins. These days, Stefan Sagmeister takes a “They’d just lie there,” Raichle says. But he
whole year off once every seven years. It’s made his New York–based found “there is ongoing activity in your brain,
design firm one of the most sought-after in the world because, as he all the time”, which suggests neural rest is
says in a TED Talk, each “sabbatical” provides unrivalled insight and never rest. “Problems are getting solved,” he
enthusiasm for future projects. says, even without us knowing it.
Staying true to form, Sagmeister turned down my request to speak Whether it’s Isaac Newton under the apple
with him by saying, “During this unusual time, I try to minimise my tree or me on a walk, Raichle argues we are
scheduled time in front of screens and on the phone”. often at our creative best when we’re most
I take my cues from these entrepreneurs and literally schedule relaxed. That’s true for me. I’m happier,
idleness using the calendar I’ve crowded with projects. Some days it’s thinking more clearly because of my
the half-hour walk my therapist recommends – a pair of Ecco ST.1 Lite scheduled downtime. Though I have more
Men’s Sneakers, $149, au.ecco.com – are perfect for this. Other days work than ever, I’m less stressed. I realise I’ve
it’s a block of daydreaming when I journal about projects I might one been working the wrong way for 20 years. I
day pursue. Sometimes it’s acting as my nine-year-old twin boys’ PE need not wrestle and pin and rule the hours
coach while they learn remotely. As it does for everyone else, the of each day. I can move with them, enjoy them
downtime produces real results for me. During one daydream session, I for what they are. I find snatches of time for
get the idea to start a paid online community to help creative types still more downtime.
learn from one another in ways they can’t from social media.
A small business is born.
38 MEN’S HE ALTH
TACT I C S
SEPTEMBER 2021 39
SUPER SMALL TALK: “CAPE
DRYCLEANING COSTS A
BOMB, DOESN’T IT?”
SOURCE: JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR AUGMENTATIVE AND ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION
WE SPENT WAAAAY too much time cooped up inside with our
families, with our partners or by ourselves for the past year and
THE POWER OF a half. While that meant a total loss of solitude for some of us –
and an abundance of it for others – quarantine also meant the
disappearance of something we didn’t know we needed:
random, chance encounters with other people. And science
has shown that those fleeting conversations with the grocery-
SMALL TALK store owner or a friend of a friend are actually really good for you.
For one, such exchanges can improve your mood, says
Juliana Schroeder, a psychologist at the University of California,
Berkeley. In one study, researchers found that individuals who
Idle chitchat confers serious health habitually made small talk felt “a greater sense of belonging”
and less lonely overall. “Talking to people, even those on the
benefits, and it’s something most of us periphery of our social network, exposes us to new information
have been missing for the past year. Here’s and broadens our perspective,” says psychologist Gillian
how the author of a new book, The Power Sandstrom, a coauthor of that study. Social connections can
even help maintain your immune system and increase your
of Strangers, advises you to rebuild your life span.
social muscles after months of isolation If pandemic life taught us anything, it’s that people need one
another. So push past those fears, embrace the unknown and
BY JOE KEOHANE get to know your fellow man again. Here’s your four-step plan.
40 MEN’S HE ALTH
MI N D
33 The pe
of adul
that is
as sma
rcentag
t speec
classifi
l l ta l k
h
e
ed
ASK SOMETHING
3 YOU REALLY WANT
TO KNOW
Why it works: You’ll only stay engaged in the
conversation if it’s interesting. Smart questions
prevent small-talk drag. And you can only talk
about the weather for so long . . .
How to do it: Start off questions with what,
where, how or why. They’re unanswerable with a
yes or no – total small-talk killers – and they “give
[people] an opportunity to reveal more about
their own personal feelings,” says Weger. One
example: if you’re talking to a barista, ask, “What
would you order here?” If they respond with,
“Honestly, I’m not a fan of the coffee we serve”,
PRY YOUR EYES AWAY ACTUALLY LISTEN you’ve opened up a new line of discussion and
1 FROM YOUR PHONE 2 Why it works: Listening attentively found a new reason to visit a better cafe.
Why it works: Awareness of your “is one of the most socially attractive
surroundings enhances the opportunity for social behaviours you can engage in,” says Harry MOVE ON TO
bonding. (Sociologists call this “triangulation”.) Weger, a communications professor at the 4 “BIGGER TALK”
It indicates you’re in a place with other people, University of Central Florida who studies Why it works: People divulge more
you’re experiencing something together, and listening. Research has found that people when you open up; psychologists call this the
you can talk about it. The topic – the weather, consider good listeners to be friendlier as well “disclosure-reciprocity effect”. Think of it almost
a street performer – doesn’t really matter as long as more trustworthy, understanding and socially like raising the stakes in a poker game. The
as it’s shared. Note: this is nearly impossible to appealing. Plus, the behaviour encourages other player will call your raise . . . or up the ante.
do if you’re staring at a screen. deeper, continued small talk. And the deeper your discussion gets, the more
How to do it: Comment on how what’s How to do it: When someone says something, powerful the benefits of the small talk.
happening makes you feel. Say you’re in a crowd paraphrase it back to them, Weger says. For How to do it: With honesty. If an acquaintance
that’s watching a mime (random, yes, but follow instance, if a colleague mentions how he almost asks how work is going, admit, “It’s been really
along for purposes of illustration). You could say, fell into a manhole the other day, respond with challenging”. Chances are, they’ll either follow
“I’ve always been a little afraid of mimes”. The something like, “Wow, if you’d fallen into that up with another question or share their own
remark doesn’t demand a response, yet it invites manhole, you could’ve broken your leg!” This emotional experience. But you don’t have to
one, if somebody else feels obliged to weigh in. forces you to listen but also shows you’re go negative: share your excitement about your
listening. And notice that last clause: you’re kid’s upcoming cricket season or knock-’em-
keeping up the conversation by adding to the dead exam results – or your newfound
scenario, kicking the chat back to the speaker. appreciation for manhole covers.
SEPTEMBER 2021 41
FATH E RH OOD
A TALE OF TWO KIDDOS non-boring baby was. Berd wasn’t just not
boring; she was wild. I guess I assumed that she
would be of the same disposition as Maddy, and
I was absolutely positive that things would be
Children are like snowflakes, each special in their own easier, especially because I wouldn’t be
parenting alone this time. Heh.
innocent way . . . and that eternal truth makes parenting Early on, Berd refused to take a bottle
unexpectedly fun (rendering me basically useless as a parent).
During nappy changes, she rolled around like an
BY MATT LOGELIN ILLUSTRATION BY LIAM EISENBERG alligator wrestling its prey. After a particularly long
day with Berd, a babysitter said to me, “She
cannot be tamed”.
THERE’S THIS ANNOYING THING pediatricians ever willingly read a book about playing chess. And while Maddy is a cautious, thoughtful
do when you try to pin them down on a real She may never willingly read any book. These teen, Berd is now wilder than ever. She flies
answer to a burning question. You’ll say, “Well, character traits, it seems, are set at birth. through the tube slide at the park without
why does my toddler insist on waking me up Maddy was a boring baby. I was told hesitation. She jumps off the back side of the
at 5am to poop?” And the doc will shrug their countless times by countless people that the couch with no expectation that anyone will be
shoulders in an almost pitiable way and utter, universe gave me the kind of baby I needed there to catch her, even though her cautious
“Every kid is different”. I used to find this phrase most. My wife died of a pulmonary embolism older sister is often there, ready to save her.
the parenting equivalent of “It is what it is”, a one day after Madeline was born, and if I was I understand now what those pediatricians
sort of nonanswer that seems to imply I was going to survive my new reality, I was going to mean. It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl dad or a
overreacting and should mellow out. need a boring baby. Boring babies sleep through boy dad or the dad of a gender-nonspecific kid
But then I had two kids. the night. Boring babies lie still for nappy – being a dad of any child is never what you
Maddy, my 13-year-old daughter, is the kind changes. Boring babies give you time to cry in expect even if you already have a child. This is
of kid who loves reading and playing chess and the shower. Boring babies don’t throw their food frustrating only if you choose not to accept it.
reading about playing chess. I also have a all over the floor while you feed them. Boring And here’s the twist: this actually makes
two-year-old daughter. Berd is the kind of kid babies actually allow you to feed them. Boring parenting fun. My third daughter is due to arrive
who loves to tear pages out of books and throw babies are easy babies who, at least in my n=1 on October 2. I don’t know what to expect, but I
chess pieces across the room. I doubt that she’ll experiment, turn into easygoing children. know for a fact she’s going to be different.
42 MEN’S HE ALTH
A DV ERTOR I A L FE ATUR E
BODY
SCIENCE
AVAILABLE
NOW AT
COLES
HE ALTH
A UROLOGIST’S GUIDE TO A
HEALTHY
PENIS
Chances are you’ve been criticised for acting
as if everything is all about your penis. But it
pretty much is: so many of your daily practices
and behaviours, from your workouts to your
sleep, affect this key body part. Here’s what
urologist Dr JAMIN BRAHMBHATT does to
keep his working for him
GE T YOUR
B L O O D F L OW IN G
CHECK YOUR S T R E A M
Urination is a vital function of “If the vessels
I work out three times a week, either
running or lifting. Exercise helps keep
your penis, and I discovered I had a
kidney stone recently when I saw that in your penis
your blood vessels flexible and
healthy. That’s especially important
in the penis, which has some of the
my urine was red. Other signals your
urine stream gives you: straining,
pushing, dribbling and feeling like you
can’t deliver
smallest vessels in the body. If they
can’t deliver blood, you can’t get an
can’t empty can indicate an infection,
scarring from an STD or prostate
blood, you
erection. And if this is the case, get
your heart checked. Guys who
issues. Get these signals checked out. can’t get an
develop ED – even in their 40s –
have a good chance of seeing other
GI V E T HINGS A R E S T
I try to get enough sleep,
erection“
heart-disease symptoms within the because it allows the body the time it
next two or three years. needs to rebalance. Chronic sleep
loss can cause testosterone to drop,
DON ’T FE A R A which suppresses your desire and
S T R AT EGIC CU T ability to have an erection. Sleep loss
I was circumcised as an adult. is also linked to body fat. Extra fat
Chronic dry skin meant cracking in converts testosterone to estrogen
the foreskin, and it became a problem more quickly, so it’s tougher to maintain
to be hygienic no matter what kinds of healthy T.
creams and lotions I tried. Now I just – As told to Lynya Floyd
wash with water (no harsh soaps), and
I don’t use a moisturiser. Not everyone
needs a circumcision, and not
everyone needs a moisturiser. But
don’t be afraid to take advantage of
them if you think they’ll help you stay
comfortable.
DIS T INGUISH B E T W E E N
FAC T A N D FA N TA S Y
I don’t have a need or desire to watch
LEVI BROWN. PROP STYLING: MIAKO KATOH
44 MEN’S HE ALTH
ALERT
N
AUSTRALIA
ASK
GROW,
TRANSFORM
& REINVENT
YOURSELF
with lessons from the
Ask Men’s Health
Podcast
IN THIS BRAND NEW PODCAST, THE MEN’S HEALTH TEAM CHATS TO
INDUSTRY EXPERTS AND EXTRAORDINARY THOUGHT LEADERS ABOUT
THE ISSUES THAT MATTER MOST TO MEN. FROM FITNESS AND NUTRITION
TO MENTAL HEALTH, WE LEAVE NO QUESTION UNANSWERED.
“DO YOU REALLY need another ice-cream I’d eaten that day. Zombie-like, I was incapable BODY IMAGE CAN GET
today?” “Surely you haven’t exercised enough of feeling anything other than a cruel concoction TWISTED IN THE EYE OF
THE BEHOLDER.
for a bowl that big?” “Fuck, you’re looking fatter of self-pity and hunger.
than yesterday”. Every time I went to the fridge or tried to
It’s a rite of passage to live in a subpar share prepare my meals for the week, that voice in my
house with frustrating housemates. You know, head would tag along. It would belittle me until I
the type who leave dishes to pile up or pinch admitted defeat, conceding that it was easier to
your last drop of milk. In my case, my flatmate starve my body to appease my mind’s demands.
teased me every time I sat down for dinner, In an irony that would have been delicious
opened the fridge door or looked at myself in if it weren’t so cruel, after wrapping up my
the mirror. It was cruel and unrelenting. I wish studies, I landed a coveted job as a food writer.
I could have moved out. The problem was my I began secretly purging to ensure I could eat
tormentor was one I could never escape: myself. out without expanding my waistline. My
At 17 I had left my bubble of family support physical body was losing the battle to twisted
in Adelaide and moved to the big smoke. I came thought processes.
to Sydney to embrace a lifestyle I’d fantasised I have a reputation among friends for being
about during years of devotion to TV soaps. the life of the party. Yet as my anxiety
To start with, my new life was amazing. I heightened, my enthusiasm for socialising was
moved into a residential college with almost 200 replaced by a commitment to nullifying my inner
other young people. My Instagram grid revealed pain with the help of alcohol. I no longer cared
an aesthetic tease of new friends, late-night about seeing my friends. Instead, the sound of
partying and decent uni grades. Family, friends a cork popping was a contractual agreement to
and employers would marvel at how I could commit to blackout-level inebriation.
pack three jobs, never-ending coffee dates,
bender after bender and exercise into each S TAGE A N IN T E RV E N T ION
week. I was committed to doing it all. For about six months I carried on with a gulp in
But while I focused on everything going on my throat, an empty pit in my stomach and legs
in my life, my conscious mind began to lose the that ached from kilometre upon kilometre
ability to distinguish between rational and walked. Meanwhile, I kept distracting myself with
irrational thoughts. Hidden beneath the veneer a devotion to constant action.
of my Instagram filter was a desperate pursuit of It was around my 21st birthday when I lost
perfectionism that slowly, but surely, manifested the ability to sleep. I decided to consult Dr.
as an eating disorder. Google. Was it anaemia? Diabetes? I was even
willing to admit to being stressed. I booked an
RIT UA L OF SE L F A BUSE appointment with a real GP.
At some point, my body and my mind became With the timebomb entering a critical phase
separate entities. Although I was physically fit, of its countdown, she told me my heart rate was
I had an intense fear of gaining weight. I spent almost low enough to have me hospitalised. I
hours each day looking at myself in the mirror, had anorexia. While stereotypes paint men as
picking and pulling at what I perceived was eating-disorder anomalies, we actually account
a flabby muffin-top. for 37 per cent of sufferers, according to The
To lose weight, I committed to pounding the Butterfly Foundation.
pavement around Sydney’s coastline. I would My GP and I devised a mental-health care
walk morning, noon and night. My new regimen plan that would involve seeing a psychologist
was complemented by what I pretended was an along with sessions with a dietitian who
ethical decision to go vegetarian. Restricting my specialised in treating eating disorders.
diet gave me the excuse I needed to skip more Within weeks, I’d assembled the medical
and more meals. A-team, set myself up with a new diet, was
My days became endless voids of monitoring my exercise and had found a way
disconnected numbness. I would sit in uni to balance it all with work. But I was unwilling
tutorials with my mind caught in a loop of to engage with the cognitive-behavioural
rumination, sifting through a stocktake of what therapy (CBT) the psychologist was
46 MEN’S HE ALTH
M A N TO M AN
SEPTEMBER 2021 47
UTILITY PLAYER
Isuzu takes utes to D-MAX with a vehicle
that’s as tech-smart as it is tough
BY JAMES JENNINGS
MUCH HAS BEEN MADE of Barnaby Joyce – utes spent properly tough, stylish, unmatched reliability. The D-MAX’s
Australia’s invention of the ute, decades pointedly ignoring technologically festooned 3.5-tonne tow rating is facilitated
which went on to become a mod-cons. contender for Ute of the Year. by a 140kW/450Nm engine that
pick-up truck and take over the Carmakers argued that tradies It’s still a ute, bouncing about delivers its power via a choice
world. The first ute was made by didn’t want stuff like aircon or with typical rear leaf-spring of six-speed manual or
Ford, after they got a letter from touchscreens, just hard plastic suspension that tends to shunt six-speed automatic gearbox,
an unnamed farmer’s wife in interiors. Until, finally, they relented. and shuffle a bit over potholes or and both are good.
1932 asking for “a vehicle to go And the Toyota HiLux and Ford speed bumps. Only the short-lived It has a nifty dial that allows you
to church in on a Sunday and Ranger, having shot out of the and ultimately doomed Mercedes- to switch between 2WD and
which can carry our pigs to blocks, were never to be headed. Benz X-Class has offered multi-link 4WD-high range, on the run, in
market on Mondays”. Until now. Because if you’re suspension in a ute and look at under a second.
While the tale is possibly looking at one of those and not what happened there. The main game here, though, is
apocryphal, it would perhaps be also considering Isuzu’s D-MAX, All D-MAXs are diesel – Isuzu the interior tech. It doesn’t have full
the only case, ever, of a random you’re missing a trick. is a diesel specialist; its two-model digital instrumentation – instead,
rural resident inventing a whole Even one iteration ago, the range (along with the seven-seat there’s a little rectangular screen
new type of vehicle. Even if it isn’t big-selling D-MAX wore its bucolic Isuzu MU-X – basically a D-MAX between the dials – but that screen
true, one thing is: utes have been lack of sophistication as with rear seats instead of a is useful, offering helpful
largely agricultural ever since. shamelessly as Barnaby. But tray) is oil-burning only. But that information as straightforward as a
Championing function over now, out of left field, the third- specialisation – with one engine digital speedo and as clever as the
form – they’re as aerodynamic as generation model arrives as a across the range – has produced current speed limits for the street
48 MEN’S HE ALT H
M H GA R AGE
SEPTEMBER 2021 49
Watching your friends get married is easy. Ensuring you nail the dress code while
not outshining the groom is where things can get a little tricky. With the help of
The Bachelor Australia’s JIMMY NICHOLSON, we showcase what to wear for
different weddings, helping you to stand out for all the right reasons
PHOTOGR
PHOT GR APHY
A Y BY
B LIAM CHA DLER ST YYLING
H NDLE NG BY
B DALE
E Mcc KIE GROO
GROOMING
MING BY KRIS
R T YAN LOW
50 MEN’S HE ALTH
When the theme gives the freedom
to interpret as you please, keeping
things chic with a suit and turtleneck
is a winning combination, while the
bold colourway ensures you won’t
clash with the groom.
Black tie
Opposite: Jacket ($3100), and
pants ($500), both by Belancē;
shirt ($149), pocket square
($19.95) and cufflinks ($79.95)
all by MJ Bale; bow tie ($149) by
Calibre; shoes ($1295) by
Christian Louboutin; rings
($329) and ($199) both by
Thomas Sabo; bracelets
($8230) and ($7830), by Fred.
SEPTEMBER 2021 51
Because how often do you get the
chance to rock some suspenders?
Exactly. It’s the simplicity here that
makes the difference, and after several
hours on the dance floor, you’ll be
grateful for the comfy boots.
52 MEN’S HE ALTH
STY L E
SEPTEMBER 2021 53
Hitting the ranch means channeling
your inner cowboy. Boots and
vintage belt are mandatory, as is the
thumb in pocket pose.
54 MEN’S HE ALTH
STY L E
SEPTEMBER 2021 55
More Room
To Groom
Lockdown has changed the way we live, grooming habits
included. But as vaccines roll out and we venture back
into the world, many of us are in dire need of a tidy-up.
Fortunately, the latest trends don’t require a 180, just
a few maintenance tricks to hit the sweet spot between
modern marvel and isolated caveman
56 MEN’S HE ALTH
GR O OMIN G
•T•H•E K•I•T•
THE MOUSTACHE IS
HAVING ITS MO-MENT
As an emerging trend, the
moustache is having its next 15
minutes, with one in 10 guys looking
to rock a mo into summer and the
new year. “My one tip here is to
ensure you keep your mo in check
with the right razor,” says Tognini.
“You don’t want to be caught Beard & Blade Moustache Essentials Kit
$54 (beardandblade.com.au)
looking like Yosemite Sam.” Trim, tidy and style your mo with this
collection. Armed with Italian-made scissors,
a UK moustache wax and our very own B2
Folding Comb, you’ll have everything you
need to keep your upper lip looking its best.
SEPTEMBER 2021 57
Time
Why your kids are the ultimate
excuse to buy another watch
TAG Heuer A cer
BY LUKE BENEDICTUS
Professiona
$4350
WEARING A WATCH isn’t just about
functionality. If you want to tell the time,
after all, you can simply glance at your
iPhone. This inconvenient truth doesn’t
make it any easier to justify buying
yourself another watch, particularly
if you have a few already. No, what’s
required here is some mental gymnastics
to seal the deal with yourself and, in all
probability, convince a sceptical partner, Tudor Black Bay
Fifty-Eight 925
too. Essentially, you need to change the
$5880
watch-buying narrative from costly act
of self-indulgence to grand altruistic
gesture. And that’s where your children
come in.
d
Patek Philippe that artfully repositioned Omega
Seamaster Diver
the wristwatch from timekeeping device
300m Black
to precious family heirloom. Patek Black $13,200
continues to release advertisements in
which the same scenario plays out. A
photogenic small child in a tomato
Longines
sauce-free, collared shirt gazes adoringly Heritage
up at his square-jawed father with a watch Classic $3050
strategically positioned somewhere in the
frame. “You never actually own a Patek
Philippe,” reads the tagline. “You merely
look after it for the next generation.”
On one level, of course, this is a Graand Seiko
masterclass in emotional manipulation. SL
It’s an image of domestic bliss on an $
executive salary designed to sell wildly
expensive consumer goods. Yet the idea
of a watch becoming a family totem is also
hard to resist.
Right now, I’m writing this with a
wedding ring on my finger that was
worn by my father. His old watch nestles
in the desk drawer to my right. These
58 MEN’S HE ALTH
WATCH E S
““THESE
T ARE INTIMATE
POSSESSIONS OF A
M
MAN I NEVER TRULY
GOT TO KNOW, AND
THEY’RE PROBABLY
ngineer
TTHE
HE MOST TREASURED
al $4850 OBJECTS
OBB THAT I OWN”
Classic
ronograph
Mirabaud
are intim
are t ate
400
I neve
e r truly
and
nd
d th
they’ y re p
objecct that
obj
plan to pass
pla a
chiildrren.
childr en Bu ut I aim to o do
per
erson
sonnal forr each of them
Thhe concen pt of thee “bi
is pop
opu ular among colllecto
Rolex Explorer
sugggessts, it involves sour
ref. 124273 fromm the year that you u we
$15,250 ca
an juj mp
m onto a weebsit
prre-ow
- ned watch hes – chrono24.
com – plug in yo our b
thrrough the multit
u il you fin
unt nd som
s
floats yourr horol
Butt you c
samee for you
Citizen Series 8 snappi
pping up
$2599
wattch for th
born n recently,
be ablee to go alon
retaileer and buy a
from their year of
Ma any y moons fro
suitab blyy momentous
Raymond Weil might ht choose to fi final
all
Freelancer with th his thoughtful gifft
Bronze $4795 the ha
handover might g wait
popppe
ped your clogs.
A any rate, th
At he factt th
th
h pen get to wear th
hap his a
watch for th t e next feew de
just to imbu
mbuee it wit ith
th the n
of paternal al con
conn ne
nection. E
wife that at you’r
u’rre not just b
watch; you’re completing a selfless act of
fatherhood on behalf of your kids.
SEPTEMBER 2021 59
MH S U BS C RI PTIO N O F FE R
* S a v i n g i s b a s e d o n y o u r f i r s t 12 i s s u e s . Yo u c a n c a n c e l y o u r s u b s c r i p t i o n a t a n y t i m e a n d y o u w i l l c o n t i n u e
to receive magazines delivered through to the end of your last billing period. We do not provide refunds for partial billing periods. Offer valid in Australia
and New Zealand only until 5/9/21. Paragon DC N P ty Ltd is collecting your personal information for the purpose of processing and managing your
subscription. We will handle your personal information in accordance with Paragon’s Privacy Policy, which is available at paragonmedia.com.au/privacy-policy.
60 MEN’S HE ALTH
FREE
2 WAYSTOORDER
OORDER
ORDER
RDER
DER
ERR
menshealth.com.au and click on SUBSCRIBE
02 9439 1955
SEPTEMBER 2021 61
Armed to the Teeth:
Both Warnes draw
confidence from
looking their best.
62 MEN’S HE ALTH
TACT IC S
THE
WARNE
LEGACY
Fit and firing in his fifties, Shane Warne
is ready to open up about his post-cricket life.
Meanwhile, his son, Jackson, still energised
by his breakout appearance on SAS Australia, is
right beside him, harbouring his own aspirations.
In these exclusive interviews with
Men’s Health, the Warne men reveal their
secrets to staying healthy, productive and bonded
eternally as father and son
BY DA NIEL WILLIA MS PHOTOGR APHY BY JA MES GEER
SEPTEMBER 2021 63
hen Shane Warne arrives for the
Men’s Health photo shoot, he is polite, amicable
– and businesslike. He wants to know whether
it’s really going to take the time allotted. Which is
quintessential Warne. Getting on with things – no
fiddling about, no wasting energy on the extraneous
– was always his way as the outstanding cricketer of his
time. With Warne, it was, Come on, skip, toss me the ball.
And how about ramping up the aggression? Take wickets. Pursue
victory. And if there’s an opportunity, I’ll gift you some theatre, too.
In his approach to things, little has changed in the 14 years since Men’s Health: Without the driver gotten better with age. I think I
he played his final Test match. Now 51, clear-eyed, strong of body of having to be ready to bowl understand myself so much better.
and stretched thin across a range of interests and pursuits, Warne 25 overs in a day, what’s your My fitness is great. The business
is as purposeful as ever, too engaged with life and fatherhood to approach these days to side of things is going better than
have fallen victim to the kind of existential crises that dispirit keeping fit? it ever has. And my children are
many a former athlete in the eerie quiet of retirement. Shane Warne: Sticking to a happy. So, I’m in a really good
Fourteen years? Really? Fourteen years since he ripped a leg- routine. Through my career, I space. You know, there’s really
break or clicked out a flipper in whites? Those who watched him, fluctuated a little bit with my weight: nothing I’m worried about.
summer after summer, will never forget his mastery. But he’s been it was up, it was down, I was
missing from the crease long enough for there to have emerged a super-fit, then not fit. And a lot of MH In your autobiography,
new generation of cricket fans for whom the name Warne is little that had to do with injuries. Since No Spin, you’re open about the
more than that – a name, a champion of the past, and perhaps an I’ve retired, the health thing is both things you do to look your best.
outspoken, coruscating voice from the commentary box. physical and mental. With the Is that as important to you as it
In bringing Warne the cricketer to life, you start with the physical side of things, for probably ever was, and if people want to
numbers. Between 1992 and 2007, he took 708 Test wickets the last 10 years or so I’ve gotten call that vanity, do you care?
– the second-most by any bowler in history (behind Muttiah into a morning routine, whether SW No, I don’t care. I take pride
Muralitharan) and 145 more than the next most prolific that’s my push-ups, skipping, in my appearance. I always try to
Australian (Glenn McGrath). He claimed five wickets in an boxing, going for a walk or going to dress nicely. Yes, I go to the dentist
innings 37 times and 10 wickets in a match 10 times. He is one the gym and getting on a treadmill. regularly and get my teeth
of only eight players to have accomplished the 300 wickets/3000 I try to do something at least a few whitened. Yes, I didn’t like going
runs double. Toss in another benchmark – 100-plus catches (in times a week. bald. Some people don’t mind it.
the slips, Warne had hands like buckets) and the list shrinks Some people don’t care. Some
to just Warne and Ian Botham. In 2000, the votes of 100 cricket MH And the mental side? people worry about it but don’t do
experts anointed Warne (alongside Bradman, Sobers, Jack Hobbs SW A lot of people underestimate anything about it. I decided to do
and Viv Richards) one of Wisden’s five greatest cricketers of the it. Fitness is about feeling fresh and something about it because I think
20th century. happy. We’re all busy. There’s never it makes you look older. That’s just
Warne likes to point out, jovially, that among that quintet, enough time in the day. But I’m very my opinion. I’m not saying it for
he alone has not been knighted. Maybe that will come, though structured and very disciplined. I’ve everyone. But I couldn’t rock a bald
some of us might prefer it if he remained simply Warnie forever. got a whiteboard and I’ve got head like Bruce Willis. I’ve only
The bowling genius from the outer Melbourne suburb of Upper diaries. Doing things that I enjoy done it once and I didn’t look very
Ferntree Gully retained a priceless everyman quality: he battled helps my mental health, like playing good. I looked like, I don’t know, a
intermittently with his weight, loved a smoke and a drink, swore golf a couple of days a week and tennis ball. My association with
a bit, refused to treat his baggy green like the Shroud of Turin, walking a course for four hours. I’ve Advanced Hair for the last 17 years,
couldn’t abide bootcamps or self-important coaches, spoke his got a lot on my plate in terms of they’ve helped me regrow my own
mind, treated posties and PMs the same . . . and got into hot water business things and being a bit hair. And I take pride in my
now and then. Of the missteps that turned into tabloid, sex- of an entrepreneur, and I think the appearance, whether that be my
scandal fodder, Warne has always said his chief concern was that fitter you are and the happier you clothes, my teeth, my hair. Now,
he had hurt or embarrassed his three children. Those children (to are, the better decisions you make. people can take the mickey out of
his former wife, Simone) are now adults: daughters Brooke and me. They can do whatever they like.
Summer, 24 and 20 respectively, and 22-year-old son Jackson, a MH How did you feel about They can call me vain because it
sensitive, self-contained and likeable young man who has joined turning 50? Was that challenging, doesn’t worry me in the slightest.
his father today to talk about his plans as well as the perks and psychologically? Because in my mind it’s always
challenges of navigating life in the footsteps of a legend. SW Not at all. In a way, I think I’ve been look good, feel good.
64 MEN’S HE ALTH
TACT IC S
Forward Focused:
Warne is simply
too busy to wallow
in past glories.
SEPTEMBER 2021 65
TACT I C S
66 MEN’S HE ALTH
Lethally Blond: Warne
MH You’ve spoken previously to a Japanese restaurant, and I’d try
rips a leg-break in
about how easily your weight and get a pizza delivered there. And an Ashes Test at Old
could swing between 80-90 I’d eat it out of the box. And that Trafford in 1997.
kilograms. Have you settled wasn’t being difficult – I just wanted
on an ideal weight for now? a pizza the night before we played.
SW Yeah, I’m just trying to stay in It’s evolved a little bit. I don’t eat
that 85-90 range. I’m 88 now. I’m anywhere near as much junk food
52 this year, so I feel like I’m in because I know if I do, I’ll be heavy
pretty good nick for someone my again. But if I’m quite strict with my
age. And the thing is, you can’t get diet and I combine that with my
too lean as you get older. That’s fitness routine, I’ll be fine. My
why everyone thought for a while size-34 jeans will fit nicely.
there that I’d had stuff done to my
face. They thought I’d done all sorts MH What do you miss about from home. I missed Jackson’s other forms of cricket] for people to
of things to my face because I got being a cricketer? birth. I didn’t see him for four see what sort of captain I was. And
too skinny. I went down to 79 kilos, SW It’s very rare, but occasionally I months because we were at the it’s nice when they say, “Geez, we
which was too light, and suddenly I miss not having the ball in my hand 1999 World Cup. I missed the birth wish you could have captained
was drawn. So, it’s about being when it’s a really tight game or a of my eldest daughter, Brooke, Australia [in Tests]”. If you ask
healthy and feeling comfortable. wonderful finish to a Test match. because I was playing on an Ashes players who played under me, I
Not everyone should worry about One team’s trying to bowl the other tour. I went home in between Tests think they enjoyed my style, [which
their weight – they should worry one out and I might think, Geez, I and saw her for one night, then flew was] aggressive, always trying to
about feeling good. But, for me, wish I had the ball in my hand. I all the way back to England. win. I hated a draw. And I’d always
mate, I look at a cheeseburger and miss the competitive side of things back my players no matter what.
put on three kilos, whereas I know because I’m super-competitive. But MH Your ability to perform on
other people can have five of them it’s just every now and then. What I the field when there was turmoil MH Outside of cricket, which
and nothing happens. do miss is that camaraderie among in your private life was sports people, past or present,
the group. I was lucky enough to remarkable. How did you do it? do you most admire?
MH What’s your relationship play with some wonderful players. SW Yeah, look, between making SW I used to love watching John
with food these days? Has it To be the best team in the world the Victorian state squad aged 18 McEnroe play. I think Michael
evolved from one of indifference over probably 15 years and beat to finishing up in the Big Bash with Jordan set the path for every single
– and a limited menu? every team home and away was the Melbourne Stars at 43 . . . that athlete, not just in how good he
SW Oh, look, when I was playing, I a pretty amazing achievement, so was my life and I lived it in front of was but in being a business and a
ate so much crap. Because, you I think I miss travelling around with millions of people around the world. brand – in his case, before there
know, you were travelling, you’d a group of guys who wanted to The attention and the judgment was social media. Tiger Woods. I’ve
land somewhere at midnight achieve something special. were always there, and, yes, I made had dinner with Tiger a few times. I
hungry, and you’d eat. It was hard plenty of poor choices along the introduced him to my son when he
and you had to be very strict, and at MH What do you miss the least? journey. But when I reflect on those, was here for the Presidents Cup.
certain stages through my career I SW The time away from my I think there weren’t all that many The way he dominated golf for so
didn’t worry about it. I thought, children. When I played, you didn’t compared to all the good things long and then to come back to win
Look, I’m bowling-fit, I can bowl 40 say, “I’m missing this World Cup” or that I did, whether it be the stuff for [the 2019 US Masters] after all his
overs no problem, and if I’ve got a “I’m missing this Test match Australia or for charity . . . I’ve raised injuries showed not just terrific skill
few extra kilos, I’m okay with that. because of the birth of my child”. It millions of dollars for charity. So, but also mental toughness. So,
But other times I wouldn’t be. I used just wasn’t done. You just played look, there were a few personal Tiger, McEnroe, Michael Jordan –
to be all or nothing. I’d go from 92 and if you missed a birth, that’s just things . . . but you can’t say, “I don’t and Muhammad Ali.
kilos to 79 in six weeks, because I’d the way it was. And remember want to play today – I’m struggling
trained my absolute butt off, but those Ashes tours back then used a little”. I could always switch on MH What’s keeping you busy?
now I’m more consistent. Look, I to be [four or five] months. You and off and compartmentalise. SW I have a hand in so many
don’t like fancy food. I don’t like used to room with a teammate, and things. My main business interest
sitting in a restaurant for five hours partners weren’t allowed on tour. I MH If you’d gotten the chance would be the SevenZeroEight Gin
and sampling 17 different things. don’t miss all that – being away to be Australia’s Test captain, Collection. We’ve got a great
I’m very simple. People sometimes from my family for so long – but what do you think would have product that won the gold medal for
say it’s fussiness. I’m not fussy that’s what I did: I played cricket for defined your leadership style? best gin after blind taste-testing at
whatsoever. I like steak and chips. I Australia, and that took me away SW I captained enough times [in the 2020 SIP Awards in America. I
like chicken and chips or chicken
SEPTEMBER 2021 67
TACT I C S
68 MEN’S HE ALTH
“As well as father-son,
we’re like best mates,”
says Shane.
SEPTEMBER 2021 69
TACT I C S
SON OF A GUN
MH What attitude did you take
to his playing sport?
SW Oh, look, obviously part of me
would have loved him to have a
proper crack at it – but I never Being the only son of a sporting great is hard. Or is it?
pushed him in anything. I would
always just stand under a tree and
watch him play footy or lawn bowls
or cricket. Part of me sort of wishes I
had been a bit more, “Right, this is “If you want to say
what you’re doing and you’re going I’m in a shadow,” says
Jackson, “the shadow
to have a proper try at something”.
is really nice.”
Because I think he was an
extremely good AFL footballer.
I’ve always believed that children
should play a lot of sports, because
there’s something about team
sports that helps you enjoy other
people’s success and rounds you
off as a person. But I look at the way
he’s turned out, such a wonderful
young man. And it’s never too late.
I still think he could have a crack
at AFL because he was so good.
MH What misunderstandings do
you think everyday people have
about fame?
SW Well, when I catch up with
Chris Martin, who’s one of my best
friends, we do something really
simple. When I go down to his
place in LA, we go for a walk up the
hill. He’ll go, “Right, my five first”,
and he’ll say the five things that are
on his mind, whether that’s a block
in music writing, whether it’s his
children, whatever. And then on the
way down, I’ll talk about my five
things. And then we sit down and
talk about it all. You talk about
normal things like everyone else
does. The thing is about friendship
– real friends never judge. I don’t
judge my friends and they don’t
judge me. But they know I’m always
there for them, and I know they’re
there for me. And even if you
haven’t spoken for a year, when you
do catch up it’s like you saw them
yesterday. There’s no, “Oh, you
didn’t call”. They’re not friends.
70 MEN’S HE ALTH
Men’s Health: You’ve stacked MH What does your dad think MH Because of who your
on some beef? about your new passion? dad is, would you say
Jackson Warne: In Year 12, when JW Well, he actually got a bike as you’ve had a complicated
I started giving the gym a proper well, because one day I said, “I’m relationship with sport?
go, I was around 58 kilos. I’m now going to get my motorbike license”, JW I wouldn’t say
sitting at just under 80. The heaviest and he was like, “Right, okay, book complicated . . . I think
I got was 85, which was before it for the two of us”. So, we both pressure is the right word.
SAS, but I felt a bit chubby. went and got it together. And then Subconscious pressure.
about a month later, I was like, “I’m Growing up, just every time I had
MH How did you gain all that going to get my bike today”, and he to play cricket, I knew that all Jackson cops a talking-
extra bulk? got one the same day. eyeballs would be on me, which is to from Ant Middleton
on SAS Australia.
JW What works for me is eating why I sort of got turned off it straight
as much as possible and training MH Are you working now? away. But in saying that, I wasn’t
six days a week. Because I was JW At the moment, I’m just playing actually all that interested in cricket. lucky enough to go to a great
really, really skinny when I started. poker and following the circuits I played a few games when I was school [Brighton Grammar], with
Now I feel comfortable in my own around Australia. Because at the 14, 15, and in my second or third great friends in a great area. I went
skin. Because I know when I was moment, poker for me is working and game, I actually took a hat-trick on a lot of nice holidays and I’ve got
younger and looking up at people I’m enjoying it. But I wouldn’t say it’s bowling leggies. And Dad was to meet some pretty cool people.
who were a bit older and bigger my job. It’s more a hobby. there watching and he was, “Oh my And I can always remember just
than me, I’d go, “Oh my God, I wish God, he’s going to start playing smiling. So, I think he did a great
I could be like that one day”, or, “I MH Did that come via your dad? cricket”, but then I played only two job. And I’m proud of him.
wish I could be as strong as them JW I think so. I started playing or three games after that. I played a
or as confident as them”. And now when I was maybe nine or 10. And lot of sports growing up. But I sort MH You’ve said before that he’s
I sort of am that person. It’s like, I’m because Dad and I would always be of found myself when I started not stuck in the past . . .
proud of myself for it. going on holidays, in hotel rooms or going to the gym. JW If you walk into our house,
on planes we’d always have a deck there’s not a room where all his
MH Is your training all weights? of cards. So, long story short, I love MH It’s a solitary pursuit, weight trophies are or pictures of himself.
JW The only training I did for the the game. When I was about 15 or training. Are you happiest in your He’s focusing on now, on being
first two or three years was weights. 16, I started playing with his friends own head, in your own world? present, so what’s on the walls are
Hardly any cardio because I quit all and started winning, and they were JW Yeah, I’m at my happiest paintings, or photos of the family.
sports when I finished school, just all like, “Hang on, you shouldn’t be either when I’m in the gym or riding It’s not, “Look at this cricket ball or
because there was too much winning yet – you’re too young”. my motorbike. I’m quite content my baggy green”, because he
running, too much soreness and all being on my own. Obviously, it’s knows what he did and we all know
these niggles, and I wasn’t the best MH Do you have an ambition? nice hanging out with friends, but I what he did. He doesn’t need
for the gym. At the start of this year, JW Down the track, I want to have don’t need external things to make materialistic stuff to make him feel
I started doing 10 kilometres on the my own gym and be a personal me smile or laugh. better. He’s humble.
bike, three or four times a week, just trainer and have my own podcast.
so I’m not always bulking and I stay I want my own place where people MH You’ve said previously that MH Your dad casts a long
mobile and healthy. can wake up in the morning, get in you’ve felt guilt about not shadow. Have you found a way to
their car and get to my gym, and I’ll following your dad into cricket. step out from that shadow, or have
MH Away from the gym, what be greeting them at the front door. Have you shaken that off? you never looked at it that way?
do you most love doing? Definitely before 30 I want to make JW I don’t feel it as much JW I reckon while I was at school,
JW It used to be – well, it still sort that happen. anymore now that I’ve spoken I sort of looked at it that way. But
of is – Lego and hanging out with about it, but definitely a part of me you’ll only feel like you’re in a
my friends. But over the last three MH What made you want to do . . . not regrets, but feels a little bit shadow if you choose to feel like
or four months, motorbike riding SAS Australia? guilty that I didn’t give cricket a you’re in a shadow. So, for me, all
has been my new favourite. I got JW The primary motivation was serious crack, because I could have I had to do to switch that mindset
my license in March, and now I’m that I love using my body, and I love been pretty good but I just wasn’t was to realise that I didn’t choose
obsessed with it. I love being in the seeing how far I can push things, passionate about it. And as I’ve who my dad was, and what he did
gym because every time I go in whether it’s getting stronger or gotten older, no one is angry at was bloody awesome. Not many
there, I come out a better version of running further or doing anything me or sad about me not trying. people can say that their dad did
myself. With the motorbike, it’s so physical. So, when this opportunity I can only do what I’m happy that, and it’s awesome when people
free, and you can’t afford to make a came up to do a military-style TV doing, and playing cricket didn’t come up to me and say, “Your dad
mistake. I like having that 100 per show, I couldn’t think of a better make me happy. is the reason why I bowl leg spin”,
cent concentration while riding. opportunity. I thought if I can get or, “Your dad makes me smile”. All
INSTAGRAM: @JACKSONWARNE18
through this course and see how far MH What would you say about these nice things. So, the shadow
MH Have you bought a bike? I can push my body, I’ll be so much your dad as a dad? . . . if you want to say I’m in a
JW Yep. more confident in my everyday life JW I never know how to answer shadow, the shadow is really nice.
and I’ll have such a better that question because I only see The shadow is quite warm. And you
MH What have you got? appreciation for everything, and Dad as Dad. I can’t compare him to can have a lot of fun in the shadow.
JW It’s a Kawasaki Ninja 400. that’s exactly what happened. other parents. But growing up, I was I’m very happy. I’m okay.
SEPTEMBER 2021 71
An incredible passion
for fitness runs in
the Ferrigno family.
72 MEN’S HE ALTH
FATHE RH OO D
FIT DAD
COOL DAD
This past year showed us
that health, fitness and
family are as important as
ever. It’s something The
Incredible Hulk, Lou Ferrigno,
and son, Lou Ferrigno Jr, know
better than most
BY LOU SCHULER PHOTOGR APHY BY RYA N YOUNG
SEPTEMBER 2021 73
FATH E R H O O D
OU FERRIGNO, 69, is a two-time Mr. him to have a college education, because he like, “Hey, you can do it. You can get there”. I
Universe champion, a trainer and an was very smart. remember I was cleaning dishes, right before the
actor (he’s the OG Hulk). His son, Lou LFJ There was definitely a time when I was like, end, and my dad starts poking me. I’m like,
Ferrigno Jr, 36, is also a bodybuilder, a “How am I going to live up to this?” He put this “What?” And he’s like, “Isn’t it amazing how the
trainer and an actor (he’s in four movies pressure on me, unjustly, because I didn’t body changes?” He’d never been too excited
this year: Dreamcatcher, Final choose any of this. His and my relationship about what I was doing. But I was peeled; four
Frequency, Nightshade and wasn’t good. It took some time, and it took per cent body fat. He knocks on my door and he
Blackout). Here they discuss how a lot of soul searching, but I came to see has a Polaroid camera, and he says, “Can I take
they helped each other grow. him as a teammate and a coach, rather some photos of you?” So I flexed.
than the opposition.
ON STARTING TRAINING LF My wife is a former psychotherapist. I LOU JR, ON THE PRESSURE
Lou Ferrigno: When I was young, I had the decided to go into therapy because I didn’t want TO PURSUE PURE STRENGTH
hearing issue and the speech impediment. to be like my father. My father never had the LFJ I did [feel pressure]. But when I started to
My father was abusive, so I was obsessed with ability to say he was wrong, he was sorry . . . I plateau, I was training with guys that were my
power. I would read the Hulk comic books, the didn’t want to be like him with my kids. That’s size that were100, 200 pounds [45-90kg]
Superman comics. I fantasised about being why I let my kids speak when they’re angry. heavier than me on the bench. I wasn’t going to
stronger than anybody else. I just loved strength. Sometimes I heard things I didn’t want to hear. lift that kind of weight. So I came to grips with the
Lou Ferrigno Jr.: I saw a guy in a Ren & But I’d rather have them express. fact that I’m not as strong as my Incredible Hulk
Stimpy cartoon who had these big pecs. Girls on father. I don’t remember one time when he didn’t
the beach loved the pecs. So when I was 11 or ON LOU JR BECOMING AN ACTOR outlift me. Arms, he was quadrupling my weight.
12, I said, “Dad, I want to work out. I want pecs”. LF Louie can do things I can’t do. He had Physically, in my life, there was always a higher
And who was I to turn to? Lou Ferrigno was my a different look. It all started when he saw me power. I had to be humble because my father
first training partner. Which is really cool. as the Hulk. [Lou Jr was three when his father was bigger, stronger than anyone else. Nobody
LF When you were young, you were kind filmed The Incredible Hulk Returns.] understands the sheer magnitude of his
of overweight. But I never pushed you to train. LFJ That was one of my earliest memories. I presence.
LFJ I wanted to make a change in my life. thought I was just gonna see my dad. I knock on LF Louie was never into how much he could
I didn’t want to be made fun of anymore. the motor home and he’s in full makeup. He bench. I used to bench 560 [254kg]. He was
looks at me, a giant green monster of a dude, always more interested in [being] athletic. You
ON GETTING MADE FUN OF and I start running down the beach, freaking out. were faster than me.
LFJ One time, when I was about 11, our family What I remember next is holding his hand and
was at the Fashion Café in New York City. My walking to set. He said, “Stay here”, and walked ON BOTH BEING FITNESS TRAINERS
foot was in a cast [from a PE accident at school], off. I looked down, and I had green paint on my LFJ Out of college, I had to support myself
and I was limping. This table full of teenagers hand. That’s when it all started to piece together. while I worked on my acting. I had a few very,
started laughing. One of them got up and was LF Then I did a movie called Cage II [in 1994], very wealthy, well-known people. But it’s not all
limping, making fun of me. So we get to our and I gave Louie a small walk-on scene. He was it’s cracked up to be. Work ethic is built by doing
table and my sister says, “Dad, these boys were very excited about that. things. Often a client knows they have to train,
making fun of Louie!” And he goes [switching to LFJ That was the moment when I knew I was but they’re keeping a bad attitude the whole
his father’s voice], “Where are they?” Dad gets going to be an actor the rest of my life. It time. I’m like, “I’m here to help you. Fitness is for
up and he walks over to this table of, like, seven happened in a literal instant. your health”.
or eight kids and a father. And he goes, “Which LF Most of my clients listened to me because I
one of you made fun of my son?” They all freeze. ON COMPETING WITH EACH OTHER told them, “I don’t want to waste your time. I don’t
And he goes, “Don’t you ever make fun of my LFJ My dad is just a big guy. Big heart, big want to waste my time”. They were scared of me.
son again!” man, big hands, big altogether. I just didn’t One time I had a guy from the Marine Corps who
LF I wasn’t really angry. I just knew I had to say match that. I just didn’t match that size in terms said to me, “No matter how hard I train, I never
something. Some of them, I’m pretty sure, peed of bone structure, in terms of strength, in terms get tired”. I said, “Really?” I made him do the leg
in their pants. I’d forget how big I was. I of anything physically. And he would remind me. press to failure. I had him do the leg extension
remember walking around the street, I had to He was the Incredible Hulk, the essence of to failure. And then squat to failure. After two
wear a 4XL T-shirt. People would get out of the masculinity dialed up to 11. There were a couple sets, he went in the backyard and puked.
way. It was like Moses coming. When I’d get instances when I thought if I couldn’t have that, He came back and said, “Sorry I ever made
upset, people would think I was becoming the I’d have nothing. But then there came a point that remark”.
Hulk. But I don’t see myself like that. When [after college at USC] when I was studying the
you’re that big, you don’t see yourself being craft of acting, digging deep into what building LOU, ON NOT PUSHING LOU JR TOO HARD
that big. I see myself as a regular guy. a character is, that I realised I can do a lot of LF It’s got to come from him. I never wanted to
different things. So why compare when I just force training.
ON THE WAY THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH have to carve my own path? LFJ I’m eternally grateful for that, because if
PHYSICAL FITNESS AND PARENTING EVOLVED LF I remember when you dieted really, you push your kids too hard, they’ll want to go
LF I wanted to give him my name because I felt really hard. the other way. He always let me find it for myself,
like he was destined for great things. I didn’t LFJ That was when I was around 19 and I did and find the questions, and ask them. He was
want him to go into bodybuilding, because an eight-week shred. The routine was gruelling, always a sounding board and a source of great
bodybuilding is a very difficult sport. I wanted and I was thinking about cheating, and my dad’s knowledge for any question I had.
74 MEN’S HE ALTH
The Ferrignos re-create a
2003 shot from their home
gym (left) almost 18 well-
muscled years later.
SEPTEMBER 2021 75
76 MEN’S HE ALTH
NUT RI T ION
In
Search of
The
Perfect
Curry
The world’s simmering love affair with curry spans centuries,
yet the subcontinental staple is unjustly associated with
overindulgence. Done well, it can be a fitness dish without
equal, combining life-preserving spices with an array of
vegetables, proteins and healthy carbs. We broke naan with
the experts to learn their secrets. Here’s how to play with fire
– without watching your nutrition goals burn
PHOTOGR APHY BY ROWA N FEE
SEPTEMBER 2021 77
T
HE PERFECT CURRY IS, by definition, an elusive interested in purity so much as enjoying the best that all worlds
ideal. It means many things to a great many people. have to offer. At their most succulent and blessedly moreish,
To those from the Indian subcontinent, whence the beef shin biryani from London’s Michelin-starred
the curry purportedly originates, the very word Gymkhana or the Kashmiri Naan at Sydney’s Surjit’s take some
denotes something quite distinct from the nosh beating in the satisfaction stakes. But, tempered thoughtfully, a
many hanker after on a Friday night. In the UK, curry brimful of fresh spices, bright vegetables, multiple proteins,
where chicken tikka masala has become a national dish, or here in healthful fats and complex carbohydrates can be a veritable
Australia, where butter chicken reigns supreme, a curry is a symbol of superfood bomb, served conveniently and enticingly in a
indulgence and intemperance, of late nights and loosened waistbands. sizzling karahi.
Meanwhile, a moong dahl from the northern-Indian city of Lucknow, This is what we mean by perfection: something that delivers
or a vegetable thoran from Kerala on the south-west coast, is a humble both on macro- and micronutrients, as well as a sense of cheat-day
dish associated with sustenance and nourishment. Neither is loaded gluttony. Which is why we enlisted the help of Karam Sethi, one
with enough chilli heat to anaesthetise a town. of the best curry chef-proprietors around today to do just that.
But the search for perfection is not the same as the pursuit of All you need to work out is whether you want a Jaipur IPA or a
authenticity. At least, not in Men’s Health’s book. We’re not protein lassi to go with it.
01
03
The Real
CurryAtlas
Each region’s approach to curry brings with it
05
different flavours and nutritional benefits. When
02
it comes to the subcontinent, you are where you eat
PHOTOGRAPHY: DAN MATTHEWS, LOUISA PARRY, STUDIO 33, LUCKY IF SHARP; ILLUSTRATIONS: ANDREA MANZATI AT SYNERGY ART
01/ 02/ 03/ 04/ 05/
Delhi Goa Kashmir Kerala Telangana
Fittingly for a capital city, Head south-west and “Let me take you there,” Further down the Hyderabad, in the state
Delhi cuisine is a the menu changes with sang Robert Plant on the coast from Goa, of Telangana, is best
mishmash of influences: the landscape. A heavy, classic Led Zep track Kerala is equally known in the 21st
meat-heavy Persian gravy-style dish isn’t “Kashmir”, and one can renowned for its century for its role as a
kebabs; stuffed Mughlai what you want while the only assume it was on seafood dishes, but global tech hub. But for
parathas, made from waves are crashing account of the lamb also boasts great the purposes of this
flatbread, eggs, pickles against the golden rogan josh dishes from vegetarian ones – the article, all you need to
and spices; plus, shoreline, which is why the region. Meat and broad mix owing to the be concerned with is the
a burgeoning street-food fish and rice are staples. heat are often the order large percentage of Hyderabadi biryani,
scene specialising in But Goa is one of the of the day in northern- Christians and Muslims 04 perhaps the most
sweet and savoury most diverse Indian Indian cuisine, but in the region. Rice is the delicious rice dish in
chaats. Delhi is also regions, partly as a result Kashmir is also common link, along with India. It might also be
home to butter chicken, of its time under renowned for its dum the liberal use of chillies, the country’s healthiest.
perhaps the closest Portuguese rule and its aloo – a sweet and spicy mustard seeds, curry Regional Superfood:
Indian equivalent to the myriad religions. It’s also potato curry made with leaves and coconut. Indian saffron is
Brits’ beloved chicken home of the original, tomatoes and yoghurt. Regional Superfood: harvested in Kashmir,
tikka masala. vinegary, pork vindaloo. Regional Superfood: Coconut is king in but as an essential
Regional Superfood: Regional Superfood: Dried Kashmiri chillies Kerala – the name ingredient in the
Good tandoori chicken Tamarind pulp is a very offer mild heat and a means “Land of Hyderabadi biryani, it
is lean meat, marinated common souring agent rich, vibrant, red colour Coconut Trees” – and is qualifies here. Expensive
in low-fat buttermilk and in Goan cuisine. It also to Indian dishes – as used in everything from yes, but saffron helps
spices, then cooked over has excellent antioxidant well as being packed fish curries to dry protect cells from free
a fierce, dry heat. There’s and anti-inflammatory with vitamin C, iron vegetable stir-fries. It’s radicals and has also
barely a healthier, tastier properties, while helping and magnesium, aiding also high in manganese, been linked to
way to get your protein. to control blood sugar. metabolic health. vital for bone health. antidepressant activity.
78 MEN’S HE ALTH
NUT RI T ION
04/ New Yo
Coriander Univer rk’s Sy racuse
Spices
sit
t ur mer y found that
Seeds ic h
c o m b a el p s t o
Often paired with related t age-
muscle
cumin, coriander lo s s
of Life
is a common base
for curry powders,
lending an
aromatic flavour,
They’re what gives a curry its addictive while acting as an
flavour, its mouth-watering kick, its emulsifier and
alluring aroma and – let’s not forget – thickener. Full of
its nutritional firepower. Without spice, vitamin C, it has
a curry would simply be a watery stew proven digestive
and antiseptic
properties.
05/
Cinnamon
Bark
01/ Long before the
Cumin Seeds advent of
Bittersweet, cinnamon lattes,
pungent and Indians were using
earthy, cumin is
the spice
a staple of most
to lend a sweet,
masala mixes. And
peppery taste
contrary to curry’s
reputation as a to savoury dishes.
stomach irritant, it It also helps
has been shown to reduce blood sugar
help with bloating and cholesterol
and improve the levels when
symptoms of added to
irritable bowel high-carb meals.
syndrome.
07/
Mustard
02/ Seeds
Ginger The piquant aroma
Is it a herb? and nutty flavour of
Is it a spice? mustard seeds are
The question is released quickly
06/ when fried.
academic, for Turmeric
there’s barely a Moreover, when
03/ One of the key
curry recipe that these cannonballs
Fenugreek spices in Indian
doesn’t begin with encounter heat,
cuisine, turmeric is
frying paste made Often used to they explode with
used for its vibrant
from garlic and deepen tomato nutrients such as
colour and
ginger. Ginger is sauces and stews selenium and
nutritional
almost medicinal, with a slight magnesium, shown
properties. It’s
too, boosting to lower high blood
aniseed taste, antibacterial,
immunity, curbing pressure and
fenugreek pairs anti-inflammatory
inflammation and protect the heart.
well with braised and anti-fungal, as
aiding digestion. well as being a
vegetables such as
okra and spinach. veritable vitamin
It’s also anti- supplement.
carcinogenic.
SEPTEMBER 2021 79
The
Some Like
Coolest
It Hot
Capsaicin – the compound
Kit
More-advanced
that gives chillies heat Indian cooking
– is burning with health means keeping
benefits. Nutrition things traditional.
consultant Steve Grant Our choice of
has a few hot tips utensils will serve
up extra flavour
at every step
HOW “NUTRITIOUS” you can
consider chillies to be depends
on how much you’re willing
to ingest. A chilli typically
contains vitamin C, plus a
pinch of vitamins A, K and B6.
However, it’s capsaicin that’s
the all-star.
“It has been linked with
pain relief and reduced
inflammation and may help
with rheumatoid arthritis,” says
Grant. “Studies have shown
beneficial effects on high blood
pressure, stroke risk and heart
disease. It might even help with
certain cancers.” In fact, regular
intake of chillies has been
linked to a lower risk of all-cause
mortality, according to research
in the Journal of the American
03
College of Cardiology.
02
As for capsaicin’s
01
metabolism-raising effect?
It’s real, but tends to be
exaggerated: a temporary 8
01/ 02/ 03/
per cent jump in kilojoule burn
BUCK THE MURGH G.O.A.T
is typical. “Perhaps the area TREND MOST
that is of most interest is the Beasts from Small and stocky, FOWL
Many will know
Jamaican curried
the East
impact it may have on appetite with a tendency to Chicken is an goat; perhaps less
through its influence on [the bark, muntjacs are excellent source of so Indian goat curry.
satiety hormone] leptin,” deer with a protein but, all too Correct this. Lean,
says Grant. “It increases the
You can stick with chicken difference. Less often, its breast sustainable and
sensation of fullness. Capsaicin
if you like. There’ll always gamey than roe chunks end up as tasting a little like
has also been linked with
be chicken. But the robust venison but equally dry, tasteless hunks lamb, only milder if
80 MEN’S HE ALTH
NUT RI T ION
Adding
cu
01/ Crush and Burn to food r r y spices
im
Turn your tempered spices and aromatics blood v proves
f u n c t io essel
into a transformational curry paste. n af ter
one me just
Simply smash well with the pestle. a l, r e
N u t r i t p or t s
io
(Granite Pestle and Mortar, Journa n
$44.95 templeandwebster.com.au) l
03/ In a Pinch
A classic spice box will give you easy
countertop access to pinches and
smidges of spices aplenty.
(KitchenCraft 10-piece spice containers,
$36 amazon.com.au)
1250
KJ
13g
FAT
2g
SAT FAT
13g
SUGAR
The Perfect
04
05 0.5g
SALT
SEPTEMBER 2021 81
The Only 01/
High-Protein
Tempered Raita
INGREDIENTS METHOD
A natural
T-level
booster
02/ 3/
Power-Building ean Muscle
Go t K ri Gassi
INGREDIENTS METHOD DIENTS MEET
M E THO
T HOD
(SERVES 4) Leaner than lamb, goat is S 4) Ru
R ub the meat with salt and
• Kid shoulder mince, rich in zinc, which helps to hicken For the ggasssi ppast
asste
ast marinate in the spices. Now,
160g • Chicken (on or off
build testosterone as well as • Tamarind concentrate, for your paste: place the
• Ghee, 15ml 900g 1tsp
• An onion, chopped maintaining immune health. tamarind and dried coconut
• Salt, te • Desiccated coconut,
• A bay leaf Heat the ghee in a pan and • wder, 65g in a blender In a
• Ginger, 10g, chopped add the onions and bay leaf. a pinch • Coconut oil, 1tbsp tea
• Garlic, 3 cloves, Throw in ginger, garlic and • Ginger paste, to taste • Red chillies, 10 dr the remaining spices, one
chopped • Garlic paste, o taste • Black
green chilli, then add the by one. Grind to a paste in
• Green chilli, chopped 1tsp
• Turmeric powder, 1tsp mince, stirring until lightly a blender with half the
• Coriander seed, 1½tsp
• Red chilli powder, 1tsp browned. Add the spices • Cumin seed, 1tsp
coconut milk and the
• Salt, to taste and salt, and cook for five • Fenugreek seed, ½tsp tamarind mix. Fry the garlic
• Tomato, chopped minutes. Stir in the tomato • Coconut milk, 300ml and onion in oil until brown.
• Fresh methi leaves, 50 and reduce the heat to a Add the tomato, chicken
• Garam masala, 1tsp R ice e a And the rest
t er s
• Coriander, 20g, simmer. Add the methi, mix from h benefit • Coconut oil, 2tbsp and spice paste; cover and
m a g ne ig h
s i u m a n er
chopped in the garam masala and • Finely minced garlic, cook until the chicken is
says Fo d i ro 5 cloves
cook for a minute. Add o d a nd n , • Large onion, chopped
almost done. Add the
coriander. Serve with Nu t r i t i remaining coconut milk,
o
S c i e nc n • Tomato, finely
paratha bread. es chopped then simmer for 15 minutes.
82 MEN’S HE ALTH
NUT RI T ION
Packed with
04/ vital minerals
Coastal Bhindi
INGREDIENTS METHOD
In Search of the
(SERVES 4)
• Coconut oil, 2tbsp
Heat the oil in a pan, then
add the coriander,
Perfect Rice
• Coriander seed, 1tsp
fenugreek, fennel and red by Toby Wiseman
• Fenugreek seed, 1tsp
• Fennel seed, 2tsp chilli. Once they start to Too often, a curry is let
• A dried red chilli crackle, add your green down by soggy white
• A green chilli, chilli and garlic, then stir mush. I benefited from
chopped until the garlic turns
• Garlic, 2 cloves, being given a masterclass
golden. Throw in the okra
chopped in perfect rice 20 years
– a rich source of
• Okra, 250g, cut
bone-strengthening
ago by a little-known
into roundels
• Turmeric powder, 1tsp vitamin K – and cook master chef: Wendy
• Salt, to taste for five minutes. Add Lancaster from
• Coriander, 1tbsp, turmeric and salt, Wimbledon (the mother
chopped of an ex). These are her
and stir until cooked.
• Coconut, 20g, grated
r crets. Keep them
ut.
Strengtheens
your heart
h
ep 1
Wash your basmati rice until
the starch is removed and the
water runs clear. Take a medium
saucepan, tip in the rice, add water
slowly until it’s twice the level
of the rice. You don’t need a lot.
ep 2
ce on a hobb uncovered
a high heat. Boil until the
water has all but disappeared but
the rice is still moist. Turn the heat
thletic down, cover with a tea towel and
performancee
lid and leave for 10 minutes.
05/ enhancer 06/
Bo Cardio Lover’’s
No umin Pilau
INGRE METHOD INGREDIENTS METHOD
(SERVE More than just a way to get (SERVES 4-6) Wholegrain basmati rice ep 3
• Baby spinach, 200g your greens in, spinach • Basmati rice, 250g ontains a useful 3g of fibre th i th h ith
• Ghee, 4tbsp • Ghee, 1tbsp to fluff it up and serve. If it’s still
contains phytosteroids, rving, along with B
• Cumin seeds, 1tsp • Cumin seeds, 2tsp
which have been linked to d manganese, al dente, add a drop more water
• Dried red chillies, 2 • Bay leaves, 2
improved muscle mass and gulate from the kettle and replace the lid,
• Garlic, 2 cloves, • Green cardamom
chopped function. In a pan, heat the pods, 4, crushed blood sugar. Soak it in water but resist the temptation to disrupt
• Ginger, 1tsp, chopped • Black peppercorns, the rice until it is cooked.
ghee until hot, then add the and set aside for 30
• Salt, to taste cumin seeds and red chillies 1tsp minutes. Heat the ghee in
• Lemon juice, • Cloves, 4
a squeeze until you can hear them • Cinnamon, 1-2 sticks, a pan and, once hot, add
crackling. Throw in the garlic broken cumin, bay leaf, cardamom,
and ginger and cook for • An onion, chopped black peppercorns, cloves
a minute. Add the spinach, • Turmeric powder, and cinnamon, until ep 4
salt and lemon juice; the 1tbsp they’re crackling. Add the
• Water, 450ml
e’s the best bit: your p
citrus makes spinach’s iron onions and, when brown, ly be lacquered with r
easier to absorb. Cover and the rice, turmeri and water d if t k ith
cook for five minutes, until Cover and cook for 15 Fill it with cold water and leave for
the spinach has wilted. minutes until all the water a few hours. Drain and your pan
is absorbed. will be completely clean.
SEPTEMBER 2021 83
STRONGER
MINUTES TO
W
HETHER YOU call it the circuit training (HICT) can be effective. The
Quarantine 5 or the COVID 10, authors of the paper created a workout that
many of us gained a few extra kilos combined total-body aerobic and resistance
over the past year as our routines training in a fast-moving circuit, and their
got turned upside down and stress busy clients thrived, improving their strength
levels skyrocketed along with and endurance while burning fat. And yes,
binge drinking and Netflix marathons. For you could exercise for even less time, because
whatever reason, it just seemed harder to find workouts as short as four minutes can deliver
the time or the motivation to exercise. We’re benefits. But you’d have to train impossibly
here to fix that, as long as you can find seven hard, at an intensity even greater than 100
minutes. That’s all you need to battle (yes, per cent of your VO2 max (a measure of your
battle) through a light-speed workout that’ll cardiovascular output). Meanwhile, a seven-
supercharge your body more than you think minute session elicits a metabolic response
is possible. No, a seven-minute fitness frenzy while letting you go at a more manageable 90
won’t swole you up like Chris Hemsworth,
but it can burn fat and build strength. “Some
per cent of your VO2 max.
These four workouts remix HICT
BODYWEIGHT
movement always beats no movement,” says
fitness writer Ebenezer Samuel, “especially
principles with fun moves that help you hit
a host of fitness goals. Two of them will blast
BLASTER
if you’re pushing your limits.” fat and build strength, and one crushes your Rev your heart rate while
So why seven minutes (instead of five cardio fitness. The fourth focuses on recovery building strength and
or 10)? The key is intensity, according to and relaxing tight muscles. “Motion is lotion,” athleticism with this session
research from the Human Performance says trainer Dan Giordano, who designed the from JAHKEEN WASHINGTON
Institute in Orlando. In a study published in recovery session. Every workout keeps you (pictured here), US Men’s
the American College of Sports Medicine’s moving for nearly every second of your seven Health’s 2020 Top Trainer win-
Health & Fitness Journal in 2013, scientists minutes. Do any of these once per day, or to ner and the owner of JTW Fit
at the institute showed that a seven-minute overclock your fitness, do it twice or even
workout protocol built around high-intensity three times per day.
84 MEN’S HE ALTH
F IT NE S S
Shirt and
shorts by
Ten Thousand.
DIRECTIONS: Warm up with a 30-second plank, 10 reverse lunges and 10 jumping jacks. Then set a timer for 7 minutes.
Do 10 rounds (yes, really) of the first 4 exercises below. In the first round, do 10 reps of each movement, then do 9, and so on,
until you’ve done 1 rep of each move in the final round. Have time left? Perform a hollow hold until time is up.
FINISHER
SQUAT HALF BURPEE REVERSE FLY PUSH-UP HOLLOW HOLD
Start standing, feet Start in push-up position. Stand with your torso at Start in push-up position, Lie on your back, arms
shoulder-width apart, Keeping your hands on a 45° angle with the floor, hands slightly wider and legs outstretched,
abs tight. Bend at the the floor, jump your arms hanging naturally. than shoulder width. lower back pressed
knees and hips, lowering feet forward. Remove This is the start. Raise Bend at the elbows and into the floor. Raise your
until your thighs are your hands from the your arms until they shoulders, lowering your shoulder blades and
parallel to the floor. floor. Reverse the moves form a T with your torso chest to within 2cm thighs by 2-3cm. Hold
Stand, squeezing your to return to the start. (pictured). Lower them. of the floor. Press back until time expires.
glutes. That’s 1 rep. That’s 1 rep. That’s 1 rep. up. That’s 1 rep.
SEPTEMBER 2021 85
F IT N E SS
SINGLE-DUMBBELL
DESTRUCTION
Grab a dumbbell (or
kettlebell!) and never
put it down in this workout from
EBENEZER SAMUEL
Tank and shorts
DIRECTIONS: Warm up with a 30-second by Rhone;
plank, 10 reverse lunges and 10 jumping sneakers by Nike.
jacks. Then set a timer for 7 minutes. Use
a medium-weight dumbbell or kettlebell.
Do the moves below as a circuit. Do not
rest between sets; battle to keep moving
for the entire 7 minutes. Keep score and
see how many rounds you can complete.
OFFSET ROMANIAN
DEADLIFT TO ROW
Hold a weight in your right hand at your
hip, core and glutes tight. Keeping your
hips and shoulders square to the front,
push your butt back, lowering your torso
as far as you can without rounding your
back. Pause, then row the weight to your
rib cage. Lower it. Stand and squeeze your
glutes. That’s 1 rep; do 8 per side.
86 MEN’S HE ALTH
LIGHT-SPEED
SPRINT
Running coach JES WOODS of the
Brooklyn Track Club pushes you through a
speed session that’ll smoke legs and lungs
0:00–2:00
Walk or jog to recover.
MAD
MOBILITY
This total-body flow session from trainer
DAN GIORDANO, is pure back, shoulder,
and hip bliss
SEPTEMBER 2021 87
Confidence Trick:
Can tweaking your
face do more than
mask over cracks?
88 MEN’S HE ALTH
HE ALTH
Just
A Little
Prick
In an uncertain world, a new wave of
non-invasive cosmetic procedures
promises to give white-collar men a
for the boardroom and – perhaps more
importantly – the Zoom call. Don’t
have a face that fits the corporate ideal?
You can fix that for less than the price
of a bespoke suit … But should you?
BY FINL AY RENWICK PHOTOGR APHY BY PE TER CROW THER
SEPTEMBER 2021 89
A single syringe
of dermal filler
at Dr Wassim Taktouk’s clinic can be administered in around it can hurt you in terms of what
costs between $700 and $1100. half an hour. Men often visit for roles you get.”
“You might need three or four for treatment during their lunch A Robb Report article
a jawline,” says Taktouk, “so it breaks. Recently, the doctor published last August under
can get expensive.” has noticed a trend: “There are the headline “Why Men are
A general practitioner-turned- more and more professional men Turning to Cosmetic Procedures
“aesthetic expert”, Taktouk, who calling up”. for a Competitive Edge in the
is 43 years old and has clear eyes The phenomenon of men Boardroom” described “nips,
and clearer pores, specialises turning to cosmetic procedures tucks and injections” as having
in non-invasive cosmetic is not particularly new. Once become “stealth weapons
procedures – injections used to viewed as youth-chasing to deploy in a Darwinian battle
reshape facial features. He has and feature-freezing solutions for for corporate survival”. An
a respectable 17,000 Instagram the foreheads and lips of image- interviewee who had recently
followers and a month-long conscious women, Botox and undergone a facelift and nose
waiting list. Taktouk can change fillers can now be found lodged job explained: “I play in the
the way you look, and he can do beneath the skin of high-flying hi-tech and start-up world,
it without making an incision, male lawyers, financiers where older individuals will be
or requiring you to take even a and property developers. passed over. I simply aligned my
single day off work to recuperate. According to the American outer appearance with my inner
“Everyone wants a squared- Society of Plastic Surgeons, in the perspective”. Now, cosmetic
off chin and sharp jawline,” says past 20 years, there has been a enhancements aren’t just about
Taktouk during a Zoom call – 99 per cent leap in men receiving vanity. They’re about success.
that most facially exposing mode injectables such as anti-wrinkle
of business communication. formulas, like Botox, and fillers. THE ZOOM BOOM
A hit of Botox can be injected A 2019 report published by the If a scriptwriter were to conjure
to eradicate “male resting face” British Association of Aesthetic up a telegenic plastic surgeon for
– the crease that forms in Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) a new prime-time drama, then
between your eyebrows as the found that men now want to look he might look a bit like Dr Patrick
gravity of middle age exerts its “tweaked” rather than “tucked”. Mallucci. He appears on my
pull. “Eyes are big for us, too,” he These “tweaking” procedures, Zoom screen wearing charcoal
says. “A small syringe beneath referred to as “masculinisation scrubs with coiffed, salt-and
the socket can make it look like fillers”, are injectables – pepper-hair and a handsome,
you’ve just had a really good synthetic hyaluronic acids that chiselled face set off by a neat
night’s sleep.” mimic what our bodies naturally moustache. If he has had any
Male clients have started to produce – for the jawline, chin work done himself, it’s hard
bring in photographs of celebrity and neck areas. to tell.
bone structures. Ryan Reynolds’s What is new is the range and A world-renowned surgeon
jaw is a popular choice. “As we convenience of the procedures who once researched “the perfect
age, there is a loss of the so-called available and the speed at which breast” in a study compiled from
‘superhero’ jawline,” he says. patients recover. Also, crucially, the opinions of 600 women and
“I replace the lost volume in this the rationale. In January last 600 men, he is at the forefront of
area, alongside the chin, back year, the Washington Post non-invasive treatment for men.
to its former glory.” reported on a boom in cosmetic His “Mallucci Man” concept is a
Using an artist’s palette procedures for men who work in full wellness/cosmetic package,
of different syringes, Taktouk Silicon Valley. “Back in the late ranging in price from $2800 to
offers the option of a “power 1990s and early 2000s, people $9000, that was created after he
profile”, in which Teoxane didn’t worry too much about how noticed a growing number of men
– a thick, hyaluronic acid filler you looked,” said one 48-year-old visiting his clinic.
– is injected through the skin interviewee who was considering “There’s no doubt that looks
and onto the bone of the jaw and having cosmetic work done. “If are as important in the workplace
chin, altering the shape for up people in the workplace know to men as they are to women,”
to two years. A “MoT” top-up you’re older than everyone else, says Mallucci. “It’s also true
90 MEN’S HE ALTH
HE ALTH
The rise in
our facial flaws, every blemish
and hint of a receding hairline
cosmetic surgery in dermal filler men who report anti-wrinkle visible, while your colleagues’
in Australia injections in feeling unhappy injections in connection drops in and out
- Cosmetic Australia, with their Australia in and a client’s cat climbs onto
Physicians according to the appearance, 2020, according his keyboard. In our harshly lit
College of CPCA. according to a to the CPCA.
Australasia YouGov survey. bedrooms, kitchens and home
offices, insecurities are laid bare.
It’s been such a phenomenon that
SEPTEMBER 2021 91
Across the country in New
Imperfect science: York, Dr Douglas Steinbrech of
human faces are Manhattan Plastic Surgery for
unique, so results Men offers a suite of procedures
can be unpredictable.
he calls “Boardroom
Executive”, encompassing
eyelid and neck lifts, high-
definition liposculpting and
jaw re-contouring. The clinic’s
website lists reasons you might
consider its Boardroom
Executive option, which include:
“You’re at the top of your game
and your body should be, too”;
“Your assistant says you look
tired” and “You deserve it”.
The trend, says Dr Helena
Lewis-Smith, a senior research
fellow at the University of West
England’s Centre for Appearance
Research in Bristol, has reached
worrying heights. “We as a
society teach men that, in order
to be successful, you have to be
attractive,” she says. (It almost
goes without saying that this is
something that women have had
to contend with for years.) “There
is an increasing pressure for men
to look masculine, to develop
certain traits that we know as
indicators of success. Men must
92 MEN’S HE ALTH
HE ALTH
SEPTEMBER 2021 93
Comfort eating needn’t mean self-sabotage if you’re searching for solace in the
right places. Applying nutritional principles to ease anxiety and restore equilibrium,
these hearty dishes will help you eat away stress before it does the same to you
BY SCA RLE T T WRENCH PHOTOGR APHY BY SUN LEE
1/ Duck legs 2/ Haricot beans 3/ Serrano chilli 4/ Wild salmon 5/ Chicken liver 6/ Potatoes 7/ Radicchio
THE INGREDIENTS
Tryptophan, an amino These mild and buttery Chillies are a rich source Col
CCooold-w
d- Organ meats are Your spuds are another This spicy leaf provides
acid that Hobson says beans are a source of vitamin C, says swi
swimm
sw
wiimmi
m nngg
mm an excellent source source of sleep- vitamin C and
“promotes relaxation”, of magnesium, which ayy hel
helpp and
ndd DDH HA faats t, of B vitamins, says supporting magnesium, manganese, which work
is often associated “binds with receptors d-
d- Hobbsonn saays ys “he
“he
“h
hl Anyia. Liver is also high says Anyia. Its together to convert
with turkey – but kJ in the brain to quieten nflflaam
amm
mmati
mmmati
ation
at oon.
nn. to reg
reeg
eguula
ullaattee yo
you
oour in iron, which helps potassium also amino acids into calming
for kJ, wild duck is anxiety”, explains levvels
ellss ooff do
el doppam
paam
amiine
ne
n to combat feelings helps to lower high neurotransmitters,
a superior source. Hobson. and
an
and
nd se s rro
rot
otoniin”n”.
”. of fatigue. blood pressure. says Anyia.
3
6
94 MEN’S HE ALTH
NUT RI T ION
“RESILIENCE” has become something rather indulge in a little old-school self- Anyia – and partnered them with a team of
of a mantra over the past year. But while care. These plates of feel-good gluttony are leading chefs to curate a menu that’s both
mindfulness and positive thinking have for those days. We recruited two top-level nourishing for the soul and beneficial for
their place, there are days when you would nutritionists – Rob Hobson and Anne your brain’s chemical balance.
8/ Egg yolk 9/ Red wine 10/ Lamb chops 11/ Avocado 12/ Walnuts 13/ Anchovies 14/ Pork sausage
“This tops up your Resveratrol, a “Lamb is a reliable “This fruit is high A top source of omega-3, These oily fish are rich As well as amino acids,
vitamin D, which plays a compound found in source of B vitamins, for in vitamin B6 and which “helps to improve in selenium, low levels pork is a source of
role in mood regulation,” wine, has anti-stress a healthy brain and magnesium, which mood”, says Anyia. of which were linked to thiamin, which converts
Anyia says. Many of us effects, blocking the nervous system,” says plays a key role These also supply depressive symptoms glucose into brain fuel.
fall short of this in expression of an Anyia. A deficiency of in the production manganese, which by a study at New And let’s not forget that
winter and early spring. enzyme related to B12 has been linked of serotonin,” balances your blood Zealand’s University enjoyment counts for a
mood in the brain. to depression. explains Hobson. sugar levels. of Otago. lot, too.
11
13
12
10
8
14
SEPTEMBER 2021 95
BITE-SIZE TIP
Aim to get 30g of
protein per meal.
“Your body uses amino
acids to build the
neurotransmitters that
help you feel relaxed,”
says Anyia.
1
Lamb THE INGREDIENTS
(SERVES 2)
THE METHOD
Start with the veg prep. Boil the potatoes until tender, then
96 MEN’S HE ALTH
NUT RI T ION
2 (SERVES 3)
• CHORIZO, 150G
• WAXY POTATOES, 200G
Chorizo might not be an everyday indulgence, but
it has its merits. Two-thirds of its fats are of the unsaturated
variety, and it’s a good source of mood-enhancing selenium,
• CHIPOTLE IN ADOBO, 1TBSP while paprika is an antioxidant. And just as importantly, it’s
• CORN TORTILLAS delicious. Remove the skin, dice, place in a pan and fry, gently
Tacos
Distract yourself from lunchtime
• CORIANDER, FRESH
BITE-SIZE TIP
Paprika’s not the
only spice with
healing powers.
“Turmeric has been
linked to good brain
health and feelings of
calm,” says Hobson.
SEPTEMBER 2021 97
N U TR I TI O N
3 (SERVES 4)
• NAVY BEANS, 600G, DRIED
• STREAKY BACON, 150G, SMOKED
Soak the beans overnight in three times their volume of water,
then drain when you’re ready to cook. Cut the bacon into
cubed strips and the sausages into 1cm slices. Tip the beans
BITE-SIZE TIP
The food you eat is king,
of course, but if you
want a quick boost, try
supplementing with
200mg of L-theanine
– it’s a potent
anti-anxiety aid
98 MEN’S HE ALTH
BITE-SIZE TIP
As much as 90 per cent
of your serotonin is
made in your gut. So
give it a helping hand:
“Eat fermented foods,
such as miso, tempeh
and kimchi,” says
Hobson.
4
THE IN THE METHOD
(SE Start by slicing the chayote squash. It’s a great source of folate,
• CHAYOTE, 40G, THINLY SLICED another nutrient shown to support good mental health. Whisk
& • OLIVE OIL, 2TBSP
• CIDER VINEGAR, 2TSP
• THAI CHILLI, 20G, FINELY SLICED
together the oil, vinegar and about a quarter of the Thai chilli
with a pinch of salt. Use this to coat the sliced chayote and
leave for 10-15 minutes.
• SALT AND PEPPER, TO TASTE
Dice the avocado into 1cm cubes. Combine in a separate
Ceviche
For a quick pick-me-up,
• AVOCADO, 300G, DICED
• RED ONION, 20G, CHOPPED
• SPRING ONION, 20G
bowl with the onion, corn, coriander and the rest of the chilli.
Season to taste. As well as useful B vitamins, avocado contains
• CHARRED CORN, 40G tyrosine, an amino acid that boosts your levels of the “reward”
stash El Pastor’s mood-
• CORIANDER, 10G neurotransmitter dopamine..
enhancing ceviche in
the fridge, then deploy • LIME, 4 WEDGES To plate up, fan the chayote around a serving dish and
as an instant antidote • TORTILLA CHIPS, TO SERVE pile the avocado mix in the centre of the plate. Finish with
to existential angst a drizzle of the remaining chayote marinade and serve with
the lime wedges and tortilla chips. Buy them or make them
yourself by frying slices of corn tortilla in half a centimetre
of cooking oil.
SEPTEMBER 2021 99
N U TR I TI O N
5 Roast
THE INGREDIENTS
((SERVES 2)
• RED CAPSICUM, 4
THE METHOD
Start with the capsicum. Remove the stalks and seeds and cut
into 2cm-wide slices. Fry the capsicum until it starts to colour
Salmon • GARLIC, 2 CLOVES, PEELED AND
THINLY SLICED LENGTHWAYS
and soften.
Push the capsicum to the side of the pan and add the sliced
& Red • FENNEL SEEDS, A PINCH
• RED WINE, A GLASS garlic and fennel seeds. Fry gently until the garlic has softened
but not coloured. Pour in the wine, stir and cover. While
Capsicum
Red wine with fish is not
• SALMON OR TROUT, 300G
FILLET, SLICED IN HALF
• CRÈME FRAÎCHE, 1TBSP
a bottle a night will have, shall we say, variable effects on
your mental wellbeing, in moderation red wine’s polyphenols
• BASIL, A FEW LEAVES can lower your stress hormones. Cook over a low heat for half
heresy – in fact, with this
recipe from Noble Rot, it can an hour, or until the capsicum softens.
be a potent cocktail for better Meanwhile, season the salmon or trout with salt and fry
mental health in olive oil, skin side down, for a few minutes over a medium
heat. When the skin is golden brown and crisp, flip and cook
– ALEX JACKSON until the fish is a translucent pink in the centre.
Head chef at Noble Rot
Finish the capsicum by stirring in the crème fraîche and
torn basil. Crack over some pepper and serve with the fish.
BITE-SIZE TIP
Something sweet to
finish? “Cocoa is rich in
flavonoids, which
improve blood flow to
the brain – helpful in
stressful situations,”
says Hobson.
6
THE INGREDIENTS THE METHOD
Chicken (SERVES 2)
• PORCINI MUSHROOMS, 100G
Slice the mushrooms into 5mm slices. Season the chicken
livers with salt. Livers and mushrooms are a good source
Livers • CHICKEN LIVERS, 100G,
TRIMMED
of iron and B vitamins, both of which will boost your
mental energy.
on Toast
Weighed down by your worries?
• UNSALTED BUTTER, 2TBSP
• GARLIC, ½ CLOVE
• CHICKEN STOCK, 2TBSP
Get a pan smoking hot and add some olive oil. Sauté the
chicken livers over a high heat until golden brown on the
• BRANDY, A GLUG underside. Turn them over, add a knob of butter and toss in
Liver little (ahem) with the
ultimate spirit-lifting comfort • PARSLEY, 1TSP, CHOPPED the mushrooms. Season and fry the ceps until they’re golden
food from Noble Rot • WALNUTS, 4, LIGHTLY CRUSHED brown and soft. The livers, meanwhile, should be cooked pink.
• TOAST, 2 THICK SLICES Reduce the heat and add more butter with the chopped garlic.
Toss everything together, then add the chicken stock with
a glug of brandy – it’ll lift your spirits, though not for strictly
nutritional reasons. Bring to a boil, then simmer until reduced
to a slightly thickened sauce. Add the remaining butter and
shake the pan to add some gloss to the sauce. Throw over the
parsley and walnuts – linked to better brain function – and
serve on hot buttered toast.
AND I CAME
BACK UP
KIND OF WAY”
Jean-Claude Van Damme,
now 60, has fought every onscreen bad
guy imaginable. But his biggest battle
has always been against himself
BY A LE X PA PPA DEM A S
PHOTOGR APHY BY M AGGIE SH A NNON
T’S JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME He’d cleaned up by 2008, when he starred but the later part of the career’s going well,
calling. He asks, “How are you?” and in JCVD, playing himself as a faded action- too. Van Damme’s name can still get an action
before he can hear an answer, there’s movie star trapped in a hostage situation at movie made, so there is always a script with a
a commotion on his end – phone- the post office. The film is a comedy, but in its title like 6 Bullets or Assassination Games or
fumbling sounds; a tiny Chihuahua most astounding sequence, a crane lifts Van The Hard Corps or Replicant that calls for Van
freaking out; Van Damme’s wife, Damme out of the scene he’s in and into the Damme to play a guy named something like
Gladys Portugues, laughing; his own rafters of the set, where he speaks directly to Samson Gaul or Vincent Brazil or Philippe
low chuckle. the camera – or possibly through it, to God – Sauvage or Edward Garrotte.
“Ah la la,” sighs Van Damme, back on for six tearful, mostly improvised minutes, These days, it’s easier than ever for aging-
the line. It sounds like French for What can in French, about the luxury-hotel loneliness but-still-recognisable action stars to grab top
you do? that led him to drugs, about his years of self- billing and a quick paycheck in exchange for
“I’ve got my dog next to me on the table,” destruction and addiction and the guilt he a few glorified-cameo minutes of screen time
he explains, “and we just got back from the still carries with him. He speaks of his former in movies that can be misleadingly packaged
Caribbean” – again the dog yaps, and Van self as Van Damme, la Bête – the Beast – and to fool some sucker looking for a quick hit on a
Damme says, “Lola, stop it” in a firm, don’t- seems convincingly and maybe irreparably streaming platform. But Van Damme actually
test-me tone – “and she is so jealous of my broken as a person. “I got out of it,” he says at shows up and stars in his movies, even if he
wife, it’s unbelievable.” one point. “But . . . it’s all there. It’s all there.” keeps his stunt doubles slightly busier than
Lately Van Damme and Lola have also he used to, and he brings to the work a
been in France, Belgium, Italy and Monaco. weathered, actorly gravitas that might
“So Mademoiselle Lola is now spoiled, Van Damme is an undisputed icon of action surprise you if you know him only as the
because she’s been going from hotel to hotel.” cinema, a living cautionary tale about the dancing fool from Kickboxer.
He speaks to the dog one more time, his dangers of believing your own hype, and That’s how he’s spent the past decade or
voice high and sweet – “Right, Lola?” a symbol of cheeseball ’90s excess. Since so, performing a split bridging viral silliness
– and then chuckles, as if delighted to know JCVD, he’s continued walking a path of and the solemnity of the action hero in winter.
there’s a creature in the world that loves him self-awareness about all of this, winking But his new movie – his first project for
this much. knowingly at the more swole-headed aspects Netflix – doesn’t slot comfortably into either
Heh heh heh heh. There’s another of his cinematic legacy in projects like the category. It’s called The Last Mercenary. He
explosion of tiny barks. Van Damme laughs. brilliant Amazon Studios meta-comedy series plays a former secret agent pulled back into
“Lola. Stop it.” He tries again, more sternly. Jean-Claude Van Johnson – Van Damme the game, does the splits and kicks people in
“Lola. Stop. Stop. Stop.” in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind mode, the face, per tradition. But he also struggles
Van Damme turned 60 last October. In playing an aging action star who’s secretly to connect with a long-lost son, nails a few
his time on this planet, he’s been a nobody a superspy, among other fun-house- deadpan moments, and slips on a tux to
from Belgium, a global box-office sensation, mirror versions of himself – and the 2013 pull a heist – and he does it all in French, a
a coke-torqued tabloid train wreck, and a Volvo ad in which he does his trademark split language he grew up speaking but has rarely
’90s-kitsch punchline. When he was 38, he between two moving semi trucks while Enya acted in. There are a few meta jokes about
told interviewers sincerely that he believed sings “Only Time”. Van Damme’s Van Damme-ness, but mostly
he’d be dead of a massive heart attack by Perhaps you’ve seen GIFs of Van Damme it’s JCVD pulling off the kind of warm, goofy
50 – and this was after he kicked the drugs, dancing in voluminous khakis and a action comedy he’s never had the chance to
recommitting to work and family and fitness suspender-strapped tank top in 1989’s try before.
and Gladys, who’d cared for their son and Kickboxer. So has Van Damme, and at This is a new zone for Van Damme, who
daughter, Kristopher and Bianca, during jcvdshop.com you can buy a hoodie or a coffee until now has done his best work as an actor in
the years Van Damme spent letting his mug with a dancing Jean-Claude on it – and subdued, haunted-man roles with a narrower
demons drive. you can also see present-day Van Damme emotional register. “He’s not like that in real
Van Damme and Gladys got divorced in modelling some of these items, co-signing life,” says The Last Mercenary director David
1992, as his wild years ramped up, but they our ironic enjoyment. Charhon, a longtime fan who wrote the film
were remarried by the end of the decade, Maybe you saw him dancing again last with Van Damme in mind. “He’s sparkling,
making Gladys his fifth wife as well as his year, mixing up martial arts and early luminous, funny. I said, ‘It’s amazing that no
third wife. If not for her? “Impossible for me ballet training and freestyle dad-at-the-rave one’s shown him in a movie how he is!’ ”
to talk today,” Van Damme says. Meaning moves in EDM duo AaRON’s “Ultrarêve”
he wouldn’t be alive. His implosion was video, directed by his daughter. Perhaps his
well-documented – gossip columns and disarmingly sage and serene social-media The Caribbean vacation was his first real time
leaked divorce-court depositions painted the presence has come across your timeline off in years, Van Damme says.
usual picture of an uncontrollable superstar – inspirational quotes on the importance of “I bought a mini motor yacht,” he says.
enslaved by his own appetites. Writer- patience, accented with context-appropriate “My little Lolita, my dog, and a captain and a
director Steven E. de Souza told The Guardian Bloodsport screenshots. stewardess, and you go from island to island.
that Van Damme was “coked out of his mind” Maybe you haven’t seen all or any of You anchor, you swim. Go eat some grilled
on the set of 1994’s Street Fighter, when he the 30-plus feature films and TV-show fish. Come back at night. There’s no sound. No
could be persuaded to show up. appearances he’s made since the year 2000, paparazzi. No phone, because WiFi is weak.”
This is more or less true, but it leaves fide movie star – playing twin Van Dammes $10,000-a-week cocaine habit. A tabloid- ugly
out the part with Van Damme calling and in Double Impact, battling Dolph Lundgren divorce from his fourth wife, Darcy LaPier.
calling and hearing nothing back from Golan, as a zombie-cyborg Vietnam vet in Universal Reported DUIs, an attempt at rehab, an
coming close to giving up, and sitting in his Soldier. He was a meaner, prettier Arnold eventual diagnosis of bipolar disorder, of
apartment thinking, It’s over; I cannot do 2.0 with a rockin’ mullet, unafraid to bare which much of the foregoing was a symptom.
more – which is when his phone rings. He’s his arse onscreen (or brag about his ability By not dying in the ’90s, he’s lived to watch
summoned to Golan’s office. Golan says to to crush a walnut with his glutes). In 1991, the world become less interesting, a process
his secretary, “Karen, bring me Bloodsport”, dressed in Patrick Bateman suspenders like that seems to have started for him even before
and Van Damme is handed the script that will a cocky junk-bond trader, Van Damme sat all human interaction shrank to the size of
change his life, no silver platter necessary. with Arsenio Hall, who asked him to look into a Zoom window. “I’m kind of – how do you
In the film, based on the too-wild-to-fact- the camera and celebrate his newfound heat say? – blasé, kind of bored,” Van Damme
check recollections of a novelist, martial by saying, “Yo, I’m large, baby”. Grinning, says. “Because everything now, it’s on the
artist and self-professed ex–CIA operative Van Damme turned to the camera and screen.” If this is how life’s going to be from
named Frank Dux, Van Damme plays a said something that sounded like “Yo, I’m here on out, he’s glad his work allowed him
soldier who goes AWOL to fight in a secret, enlarged, baby”. After Timecop made more to hang out in Kazakhstan and Indonesia
full-contact martial-arts tournament in Hong than $100 million in the mid-’90s, Universal before everything changed. But he’s also
Kong. It’s as if the script had been crafted for offered him $12 million for three more films. hopeful about the future. “Every two-
the express purpose of creating the need for a Van Damme – now enlarged, yo, at least in thousand-something-five-hundred years, we
Jean-Claude Van Damme type of actor. his own mind – asked for $20 million. Since are changing constellations,” he says. “In all
Released in 1988, Bloodsport reportedly he had built himself up from nothing, now the biblical books, the Koran or the Torah or
made $50 million on a $2 million budget, you could tell him nothing. So went the next the Gospel, they have the fish as a symbol.
and by the early ’90s, Van Damme was a bona few years – gluttony, ego, bad choices. A And now we are entering the constellation
of Aquarius – it’s a totally different cycle of
life, if you understand cosmologies. It’s very
Van Damme with a karate
magazine from 1991, the important, this coming couple of years, in
kind he once carried to terms of the human cycle.”
help sell his potential.
The star
anchoring Street
Fighter in 1994.
“ EVEL,
YOU YOUR BRAIN
EEL
THE INSIDE . . . AND THE
In the later Universal Soldier movies, that, he says, “I was able to jump from martial also watch sometimes a good movie, click
Lundgren and Van Damme have been arts to telling the truth, basically – not to act”. out. Because I’m a thinker. So when I do the
resurrected so many times that they no longer bicycle and the yoga and the training and the
remember why they’re determined to kill gym, I don’t think.”
each other, but they keep trying anyway; a That monologue he delivers five years later And there’s the work, which has become
series that began as a comic-book treatise on in JCVD might be his peak as both an about conserving energy until just the right
the horrors of war becomes a grim metaphor actor and a truth teller, but it also seems to moment. “Every time I can sit somewhere,
for the bloody-knuckled monotony of an come from a dark and perhaps inescapable on the set, not just stay on my feet, I save
action star’s professional life. emotional place. I ask what the Van Damme everything I can save,” he says. “So what you
The Bouncer (2018) isn’t as conceptual – of today makes of the Van Damme who have to do is save the car. Don’t drive that car
it’s basically a Taken movie with a touch of ad-libbed that speech. to the market. Drive another one. Only drive
The Wrestler, starring Van Damme as a single “That’s a good question,” he says. He this one on Sunday.”
dad mixed up with Eurosleaze counterfeiters. stops. Gathers thoughts. “I’ve passed that He owes it to Gladys to keep kicking. “If
But it’s also quiet and mournful: Van Damme bump. I went down, and I came back up in a not, I will be rotting at home,” he says. “Not
moves slower, gets knocked around, seems rearranged kind of way. That beast you saw as a human, but mentally. And my wife will
to feel every hit. He’s turned into the kind did go to the garage” – he makes a vroom- feel so bad to see me this way. She knows I like
of actor whose presence can elevate a routine vroom sound – “for a big adjustment. Yes, to construct.”
script, imbuing it with emotional weight. it’s possible. Quote me: ‘Yes, it’s possible’. I He is aware of the Bloodsport reboot, long
The way Van Damme sees it, this new repeat, quote me: ‘It can be achieved’. ” in the works. “If they don’t do it, they are
chapter of his acting career began in 2003, He’s learned to keep the beast in check. crazy,” he says. But his interest is elsewhere.
with In Hell, his third and final collaboration He’s found healthier ways to get out of his There’s a film he wants to make called
with Hong Kong cinema legend Ringo Lam, head. He rides a stationary bike, tries to find Headlock, which he says will be a martial-
who died in 2018. the pace where the rhythm of the cycle syncs arts epic with whiffs of Rocky. The script is
“[Lam] said you have to play a guy who up with his heartbeat. by Oscar-winning Green Book cowriter Nick
is more honest than you are in real life,” “When you are at that level,” he says, Vallelonga. Van Damme explains the story
Van Damme says. “And when he said that, I “you click your brain out of your body, put it and its visuals in a few impossible-to-follow
understood, click. The way you are sitting. somewhere, in the iCloud, okay? And then sentences – something about the colour red
Legs together. Not like a movie star. Don’t you start to feel the muscle. You start to increasing in intensity, about his character
put your hands around the sofa. Who the breathe, feel the inside. You start to feel the waking from a coma and a twist involving a
fuck do you think you are? Proper. Back machina – the machine – and the beating of second coma.
straight. You have a boss. You’re an your heart.” At the end, he says, “I die for love. Oh
employee. You are receiving a check, He does yoga, too, as he has for 25 years. my God, what a movie! I know they want to
every month.” “It’s a big cure,” he says. “You can clean lots of [remake] Bloodsport, but they’re gonna put –
It was the first time Van Damme had ever carbon dioxide inside your body by breathing. sorry for the expression – tits and ass and all
rooted a performance in his subconscious, And then also go to the gym, train every that bullshit. It doesn’t belong to me anymore.
and the experience was a revelation. After day. That’s the best way to feel good. And I’m 60 –I want to do something beautiful”.
The Goal:
1 WEIGHT LOSS
The Science: an average of half an hour per day didn’t lose
Despite what the post-Christmas surge in any more weight than those who averaged 15
gym attendance might suggest, sweating it minutes – the more committed exercisers
out on the treadmill is not the most efficient subconsciously “rewarded” themselves for
way to lose your extra padding. Weight loss their hard work by eating more food.
happensn when your body requires more As well as tracking your kilojoule
gy and k intake, Green advises boosting your non-
d so is forced to b exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT).
n your fat cells for fuel. This covers any movement that isn’t part
69%
“There are countless ‘fat-bur of your structured training plan, such as
out there, from keto and paleo to interm walking to the shops, cleaning the house, or
fasting, but all rely on creating a calorie running around after the kids and/or dog.
deficit,” says Kyle Green, a fitness model and After all, if your YouTube dumbbell workout
body transformation coach. “Aim for a deficit leaves you trembling and sofa-bound for the
of between 250kcal (1050kJ) and 500kcal following 48 hours, its aggregate effects on
(2100kJ) per day and see how your body your activity levels won’t be positive.
responds.” There are two simple ways to work Where exercise does come into its own
towards a 1000-kJ deficit: first, consume less is weight maintenance. Research shows that The University of
(eat two fewer biscuits); second, move more people who form good fitness habits alongside Lübeck found that
(add a 25-minute run). Of those, cutting the switching up their diets are far more likely men who consumed
extra snack is generally less of a faff. to stick to their plans. So, think less about two-thirds of their
An over-reliance on exercise has its burning fat and more about bulking up day’s kilojoules in the
downsides, too. One study conducted by the your willpower. morning burned off
Pennington Biomedical Research Center in more than those who
Louisiana found that those who trained for The Decider: DIET ate a larger dinner
2 MENTAL WELLBEING The Goal:
45 X5
T e Sc
Th cie cause a flash of hormones in the the brain,” explains Perera – but
“We
W do n brain’s pleasure centres, which is this time minus the comedown. In
bod
boodies
ie followed by a crash,” says Mark a study published in the American
Guy
Guuy C Intelligence in Perera, a senior GP at Babylon Journal of Psychiatry, those who
the F His point is that our Health. Perera also points to trained for just two-and-a-half
mi common deficiencies that can hours each week had a 31 per
w contribute to poor mental cent lower risk of depression than
physiological elements of our health, such as those in vitamins those who didn’t. Exercise has
being. The way we use and B12, C, D and omega-3, which been shown to be as effective as Those who exercise
maintain our muscles, organs he calls “the engine oil of the medication in reducing symptoms for 45 minutes,
and digestive systems informs
our emotional state.
brain”.
Your workouts, meanwhile,
of moderate (though not always
severe) depression.
three to five times
In a study at Cardiff University, will give you both a short-term For many struggling per week, enjoy the
scientists asked test subjects to high and a long-term lift. There’s with their mental wellbeing, biggest boosts to
snack on either crisps and more at play than just getting outside and moving for
chocolate or fresh fruit. Within endorphins, too. “Exercise half an hour each day will be
mental health
10 days, members of the junk triggers the release of numerous easier than a total dietary
food group were exhibiting brain-cell mediators, including overhaul. So, exercise edges
greater symptoms of low mood serotonin, dopamine and it here – just.
and anxiety than the fruit eaters. noradrenaline, which light up the
“High-sugar, high-fat foods can pleasure and reward centres of The Decider: EXERCISE
MORE
ENERGY
The Science: reliable
Dragging yourself around the energiser. For
park before work might be the optimal mental
last thing you want to do when and physical
you’re feeling drained, but it pays stamina, Pinho
to resist the snooze button. recommends a
Exercise triggers the release of macro split of 30 per
invigorating neurotransmitters cent protein, 30 per
such as norepinephrine and cent fat and 40 per cent
dopamine, while also boosting carbs. “Low-carb diets can
blood flow to the brain. In one cause a drop in energy,” he
study, 10 minutes simply walking cautions. Include high-fibre
up and down stairs proved foods such as wholegrains,
a better booster shot than beans, lentils and potatoes
50mg of caffeine. in every meal to drip-feed your
Be wary of overdoing it, body energy throughout the
though. One major cause of day. As a bonus, they’ll help you
fatigue is stress, says Wilson build the hormone serotonin,
23%
Pinho, a trainer and nutrition for easier sleep.
consultant based at E by Equinox Next, eliminate vitality-
gym. When prolonged, this can sapping micronutrient
cause a malfunction whereby deficiencies by ensuring that
your body is constantly pumping you’re getting enough
out excess cortisol. “In this state, magnesium (wholegrains, leafy
upping your exercise will only greens), iodine (seafood,
make your body more stressed.” iodised salt), vitamin D (fatty The proportion of
Use a smartwatch to measure
your heart rate, body temperature
fish, eggs) and B12 (red meat,
shellfish), supplementing
Aussies thought to
and heart-rate variability in the wherever you need to. Finally, if have low levels of
morning. If your heart rate is you’re also working towards vitamin D. It supports
trending up while the other two
metrics are trending down, you
weight loss, try shrinking your
kilojoule deficit, so you’re eating
muscle growth, fat loss
might need to ease closer to your maintenance and your cells’
up on your training. In other target – because there’s little battery packs
words? An active daily routine point in acquiring abs and biceps
is always beneficial, while if you’re too knackered to give
a punishing home/gym them a showing.
workout schedule isn’t.
A targeted diet is a more The Decider: DIET
The Goal:
4 LONGEVITY
The Science: specific type of exercise will favour increased
“For many older
Anti-ageing therapy is big business. Silicon healthspan”. Cardio is good for your heart,
Valley entrepreneurs, from PayPal co-founder of course, but he points out that muscle people, strength
Peter Thiel to Google’s Sergey Brin and Larry
Page, have invested in research into a cure for
wastage is just as detrimental as a loss of
aerobic fitness. “Plus, for many older people,
exercise is
the maladies of old age. strength exercise is essential so that other essential so that
There’s no miracle pill (yet), but tweaking
your lifestyle habits can be transformative.
types of exercise are actually possible.” To hit
both goals, perform fast-paced circuits that
other types
When we talk about lifespan, what we’re incorporate full-body moves such as deadlifts of exercise
really talking about is “healthspan”: the and squats. As we age, we also require more are possible”
amount of time during which we remain fit, protein to stimulate muscle synthesis. Aim
mobile and illness-free. Research by exercise for 30g, three times a day.
physiologist Ulrik Wisløff suggests that a key Recently, periodic fasting has become an
predictor of this is your “VO2 max”, a measure anti-ageing trend. “There’s evidence that it
of how adept your body is at using oxygen. improves metabolic health,” says Harridge.
You can improve this by exercising close to “Our bodies evolved in the context of a more
your maximum capacity a couple of times per intermittent feeding pattern.” But for the long
week, either with HIIT-style workouts, or by term, Harridge favours a consistent intake
pushing yourself during a 5K run. and increased physical activity. That’s fewer
However, Professor Stephen Harridge, an meals skipped and workouts missed.
expert in ageing at King’s College London,
notes that there’s “no evidence that one The Decider: EXERCISE
6
The Goal:
5
than you’re burning off. The trick to pack on muscle mass with
part is to ensure that those extra a half-baked gym routine.
kilojoules end up stored where Hypertrophy occurs
you want them. “Your body can when a muscle is repeatedly
build up to 0.2kg of muscle per stressed, which means pushing
The
The Go
oal
al:: week,” says Green. “If you’re yourself to your limits until those
putting on weight at a faster rate limits increase. Pinho advises
than that, the chances are aiming to perform 10 or more sets
you’re gaining fat, too.” per muscle group each week. That
His recommendation mirrors doesn’t always mean maxing out:
that for weight loss: between “Research shows that load doesn’t
250kcal
kcal (1050kJ) and 500kcal significantly affect hypertrophy, so
(2100kJ) per day, but this
his time in long as you’re working close to the
surplus. Protein (1.5-2.2g per kilo point of failure,” he says. “Keep
of bodyweight) will help your your rep ranges between eight and
muscles repair and grow. Carbs 12, using weights that are at least
The Science: will fuel your workouts, and 60 per cent of your one-rep max.”
There are 1.2 million Australian adults ts living nutritious fats will maintain Slow and heavy(ish) wins the race.
with conditions related to cardiovascu ular healthy testosterone levels.
disease. The good news is that many of the big But even if your diet The Decider: EXERCISE
risk factors – high blood pressure, ra aised LDL
cholesterol and a waist-to-height rattio above
0.5 – are under your control.
The dietary protocols are fairly
predictable: more fibre-rich whole foods, less
processed meat and refined carbs. Keep in
mind that diets that are high in sugar can
increase the synthesis of LDL cholesterol. Sat
fat’s not a lone gunman.
In terms of exercise, cardio is king. And
by “cardio”, we don’t mean a narrow choice
between running, jogging and plodding:
pacy dumbbell circuits and bodyweight
drills count, too. Try this: pick four simple
moves and perform a 60-second set of
each in turn, working near your max
effort. Rest for three minutes, then
repeat three times for four rounds. In
a study of older adults, those who did
this three days per week had stronger,
springier, more efficient hearts. A one-
two combo keeps things ticking.
“A bout of moderate-
effort exercise can help
the immune system to
sweep up pathogens”
The Goal:
7
IMMUNITY
The Science:
Back in 2019, most people’s
infection risk in the hours
afterwards. However, recent
recommends a Mediterranean
diet rich in healthy fats, such as
concept of “immunity” didn’t research suggests that this only those found in oily fish, seeds
extend far beyond swerving the applies to pro athletes with and nuts. “The quality of your diet
biannual office cold. Today, our six-hours-a-day schedules. influences the make-up of the
impetus to avoid infection is A University of Bath review bacteria in your gut,”
stronger. Your immune system published last year concluded she explains, “and the
can be compromised by a range that a bout of moderate-effort gastrointestinal tract is where
of factors, from age and obesity exercise can help the immune you harbour almost 80 per cent
to smoking. But it can also system to sweep up pathogens. of your immune system.”
be strengthened. If your training is more Eating a broad range of plant
The effect of exercise on professional, further studies foods will boost the microbiome
immunity is dependent on show that increasing your diversity in your gut, while
dosage. There’s a theory intake of carbs and polyphenol- prebiotic foods promote the
that intense training – for rich berries and veg can help to growth of healthy bacteria. You’ll
a marathon, say, or CrossFit offset any damage. On top of still need to mask up when you
– temporarily suppresses the that, Satya Dandekar, a buy them, though.
immune system, leading to an professor of microbiology at
“open window” of heightened UC Davis in California, The Decider: DIET
KICK IN SPRING
Mini me! ECCO’s bold new range
of sneakers just got cooler with
colourful kicks for kids. This
Spring, team your St.1 with the
matching kids collection for
bright, family fun. RRP: 129.95
Visit au.ecco.com
VISION OF PERFECTION
Speedo’s V-Class Vue Mirror Goggles push the limits
of design and innovation so that you can push
yours. Featuring Superior Anti-
Fog for 2 X longerlasting
vision, IQfit 3D goggle
seal for a leak-free
fit, plus wrap around
lenses for enhanced
peripheral vision.
RRP: $90
Visit speedo.com.au
BOOST YOUR
STAMINA
Need to pour a little extra
fuel on the fire? Mosh’s
Energy Libido Vitamin,
containing tribulus
R I C H
REECE
LIGHTNING
The Wallabies’ REECE HODGE brings
world-class speed and power to
wherever in the backline his team needs
him. Here’s the background to the
emergence of a rugby weapon
BY DANIEL WILLIAMS
PHOTOGR APHY BY BRE T T HEMMINGS
BULKING UP
idea that hard work pays off
eventually,” he says. “And I
think if you take shortcuts
TIME TO MAKE A POWER PLAY
Hodge is the Wallabies’ go-to goalkicker for long-range shots because he can boot a
You ask Hodges whether in the strength and Gilbert into the next postcode. Here’s how to build Hodge-like leg strength in the gym
he can quantify the gains conditioning side of things, Do 3 sets of each exercise using a weight that is 80-90 per cent of
he made in this period. He it definitely impacts your your 1-rep max. Rep count: only 2-4, and make each one explosive
sure can. His weight went rugby. Yeah, I’m a massive
from 90 kilograms to 97. believer in working as hard
He upped his bench from as possible in the gym and
120kg to 160, his deadlift squeezing every drop out of
from 170 to 250, and his your ability. I was able to
front squat from 90 to 130. use that period of injury to
You suggest to Hodge shift my focus towards gym
that because of these work and making my Back Squat Front Squat Hip Thruster Deadlift
gains, his relationship with strength a point of
THE SMARTER
possible while maintaining perfect form,
performing the prescribed reps in circuit
fashion, for eight rounds. Lower your
weights if you have to.
WAY TO CHASE 2A
ryy cleverr. By
y fusing
g old-school
dern mov vements,, our four-
r functionnal muscle and size
fe 1B
2
te can get
g swole and hit
what the rise of functional your other goals.
fitness has done for the So, rip off your sleeves
community. But for a while and don your shortest
there, it seemed the shorts. The following
Goblet Split Squat Goblet Good Morning
WORDS: ANDREW TRACEY; PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILIP HAYNES
pendulum had swung too workouts combine (5 reps per leg) (10 reps)
far. As our UK editor in chief traditional hypertrophy with A contender for the title of “king of all Now, let’s light up those
recently put it, “Since when modern thinking, for a lifts”, the split stance variation of the hamstrings. Hold a kettlebell to
were we supposed to feel pump that truly pumps up squat hits your quads like nothing your chest (A). With a slight bend in
else. Place a foot on a box about 60cm the knees, push your hips back and
shame for enjoying the your mobility, strength and
behind you and hold a kettlebell close lower your chest towards the
aesthetic by-products of our physical preparedness. to your chest (A). Keep an upright ground, pinching your shoulder
training?” There’s often little We are in the age of torso and bend your front knee, blades back and maintaining a
difference between chasing functional bodybuilding lowering your body until your thigh is neutral spine (B). When you feel a
after performance goals – and, boy, is it a good parallel to the floor (B). Stand up stretch in your hamstrings, pause
explosively, and perform all the reps and return to the start.
and pursuing changes in time to be alive! on one leg before switching.
DO YOU
EVEN LIFT?
For reasons unknown, the bench
press has cemented its place as
the ultimate dude lift. With
nothing more than a few
resistance bands, add these three
moves to your arsenal to assist in
the bro-ly grail of a bigger bench
3B 1/ BAND-RESISTED PUSH-UP
5 sets of 15 reps,
90sec rest
3A
Stretch a resistance band across
your upper back and assume
a push-up positio
chest to the grou
before explosive
against the band
4B
2/STRAIGHT-AR
BAND PULL-DOW
4 sets of 10 rep
90sec rest
Loop a band arou
a pull-up bar and
arm-distance aw
4A
Grip the band wit
both hands and p
it down to full str
squeezing your s
blades together.
to the top, repeat
3 4 3/ TRICEPS PULL
4 sets of 25 rep
Box Jump Kettlebell Swing 90sec rest
(15 reps) (20 reps) Loop a band arou
After the slow, controlled tempo Put your all into driving a pull-up bar and
of the first two movements, you’re the kettlebell skyward for holding it with yo
ready to get functional, fast and maximum gains. Holding it palms facing eac
furious. Squat in front of a box (A) between your legs, hinge at your other and your up
and explosively jump on to the top, hips, swinging the weight tight to your body
land with soft feet (B) and stand up backward (A), drive your hips Explosively pull t
to full extension. Take a breath forward, allowing the bell to down and apart,
before stepping back down. swing to shoulder height (B). Let your arms are str
Repeat, alternating your legs the momentum bring it down return under cont
on the step down. between your legs, hinge at the repeat. Feel the burn in
hips, then repeat. your tris? Enjoy it.
3B
1A
2B
2A
3A
1 2 3
Wide-Grip Pull-up Dumbbell Z-Press Standing Dumbbell
(5 reps) (10 reps) Hammer Curl
Kick off with an old-school staple to From the back to the front: next is (15 reps)
build a barn-door back. Grasp a a humbling movement that will blow Your biceps are up next. Hold two
pull-up bar with an overhand grip just your shoulders up. Sit flat on the dumbbells with your arms hanging
over shoulder-width apart. Lift your floor with your legs straight and freely at your sides (A). With
feet from the floor, hanging freely with open, holding two dumbbells at minimal momentum, curl
straight arms (A). Pull yourself up by your shoulders (A). Drive the both dumbbells upward, until your
flexing at the elbows while pinching dumbbells upward until your arms thumbs are near your shoulders
your shoulder blades together. When are locked out (B). Lower under (B). Squeeze here for a one count
your chin passes the bar (B), pause, strict control. and lower under control.
then lower to the starting position.
MONK
ON
BY ANDRE W HEFFERNAN
IMAGINE WALKING along muscle pain and forges training for golfer Bryson protective mechanism ten 100-kilogram guys on
a sheet of ice, struggling to strength and stability. MAT DeChambeau, who has against instability and a either side of the rope,”
find your balance. Every does this by identifying packed on 18 kilograms signal that other, weaker says Roskopf. That’s how
muscle in your body weak muscles and and racked up eight PGA muscles are causing that muscles are supposed to
tightens, bracing for each activating them with the Tour wins, including two this instability. Whether you’re work: equal strength on
unknown, unstable step. isolation movements that year. “MAT doesn’t reinvent standing up from a chair, opposing sides of a joint.
“It’s an actual neurological are often shunned by the training,” says personal doing a squat or balancing But if your lats weaken
response,” says strength functional-fitness world. trainer Dan Giordano, “but on ice, your muscles spend – perhaps because you’re
coach and biomechanics In an era when every it’s a smart reminder that every moment of every day sitting constantly, perhaps
specialist Greg Roskopf. gym has 10 foam rollers we shouldn’t overfocus making thousands of because you’re not training
“When the body senses and mobility is the on mobility.” microadjustments, tensing them – that would allow
instability, it tightens up as buzzword, MAT is a Yes, overfocus. Your and relaxing in response to your shoulders to shift
a protective mechanism.” throwback, shifting away average trainer will tell you your environment. They’re forward, leading to
Understanding this from multi-joint movements to stretch a tight muscle also adjusting to one imbalance. Stretching your
mechanism and addressing to focus on one muscle at or foam-roll the tightness another. When they’re in chest wouldn’t solve
underlying muscle a time. Despite that, away. To Roskopf, that balance, muscles on the weakness in your back,
weaknesses are key to Roskopf’s decades-old solves nothing. “That’s why front of your body and either, says Roskopf.
soothing your tight, achy template (yes, it’s been people stretch day after day muscles on the back of Instead, you need to
muscles. And this concept around that long) has after day and they never get your body essentially tug a activate and build strength
lies at the heart of Roskopf’s recently drawn attention. any more flexible,” he says. joint into ‘neutral’ position. in your rhomboid and
Muscle Activation Peyton Manning has visited “Because they’re still Your pecs and your lats, for trapezius muscles, the
Techniques (MAT for short), Roskopf’s clinic in Denver. walking on ice.” example, help properly muscles between your
a training protocol that Over the past three years, According to Roskopf, position your shoulders. spine and shoulder blades
protects your joints, eases Roskopf has overseen the muscle tightness is a “Think of a tug-of-war with (see sidebar).
THE SOLUTION:
Strengthen your hip flexors, pulling your pelvis into neutral position below your
spine, with the hip-flexor squeeze. Lie on your back, legs straight. Actively lift your
left leg until you feel a stretch in your hamstring. Hold it high for 6 seconds. Lower.
That’s 1 rep; do 6 on each side.
THE PROBLEM
SORE SHOULDERS
SIGN UP TODAY
at thebetterchallenge.org.au
THE MILE IS
THE NEW
MARATHON
Train for this everything-you-got sprint
to get a fitness bump and bragging rights
BY MARISSA STEPHENSON
3
FOR THE PAST FEW years, Ironpeople and
cardiovores have tried to one-up one another KEY WORKOUTS
with epic training efforts, competing on the
TO RUN YOUR
FASTEST MILE
number of miles they run, the number of
Ironmans they do, and the number of ultra-early-
morning sessions they knock out. Yet one of the To incinerate your current mile PB, tackle each of the following
workouts from Mackey every week for eight weeks. Order doesn’t
most effective ways to train – and one of the matter, as long as you’re taking a day in between workouts to give
most beneficial for your physical and mental your body time to soak up your gains and recover
health – has always been among the shortest
and the simplest: mastering the mile. 200-METRE HILL TEMPO
“The mile [1.6km] is an amazing blend of REPEATS ENDURANCE RUN
speed and endurance, and a good indicator of
your overall cardiovascular health,” says Danny
Run up a hill for 60-90 seconds
Mackey, head coach of the Brooks Beasts, an Run 200 metres Rest Walk back down Run 3 miles
elite pro track team. “You can hammer it, and (Repeat 10 times)
(Repeat 8 times)
because it doesn’t take long to recover, you can
run it again soon to see how much you’ve
improved. You can’t say that about a marathon,
Sprints build the muscle This increases your A tempo run pushes you
where most people are just trying to finish.”
strength and power it stamina and prepares you out of your comfort zone
Even better, Mackey says you’ll notice takes to hold speed over psychologically to go all with a pace that feels just
yourself getting faster in three weeks. While the entire mile, and doing out in the home-stretch. a touch faster than you’d
a typical in-shape guy can run a mile in ten them in this repeating “It will be painful in the want to be running, and
format will help you dial in final 400, and this gets you this constant effort builds
minutes, running one in 6:30 – under the 6:47 your form. familiar with that feeling,” your endurance for
average time for a man in the 5th Avenue Mile, Mackey says. race-day glory.
the largest one-mile race in the US — can win Run these repeats at a pace
that’s 2-4 seconds faster than Find a long hill outdoors or set Start at a pace that feels like a
you bragging rights. (The fastest finishing time in your mile pace. However long it a treadmill to an incline. (The six out of 10 in terms of effort
that race last year was 3:52.) Here’s exactly how takes you to run one, rest for hill should be steep enough that and gradually increase to a
to get after it. three times that long before the running up it feels like a nine seven. This should be about 45
next repeat. Important: aim to out of 10 in terms of effort.) seconds to 1 minute slower
run the tenth sprint as fast as than your mile pace and feel
the first. consistently challenging.
PODCAST
SERIES, WE CHAT TO
GAME-CHANGING WOMEN
ABOUT LIFE, SUCCESS,
HEALTH, FITNESS, WELLNESS
AND EVERYTHING
IN BETWEEN
TUNE
IN
GET THIS
INSPO IN
YOUR EARS
NOW!
PUT YOUR FEET UP STAND-UP GUYS
Identify these handstand
1/ 2/ 3/
CLIMBING TAP INTO CORE UP AND DOWN
THE WALLS STRENGTH (AND UP AGAIN)
Assume a push-up Nailed it? Build your Pile weight plates,
position with the shoulders further: books or anything
soles of your feet kick up into a sturdy around
THE LEGLESS
touching a wall. Lift handstand hold, 15cm high. Place
WONDER
one leg as high as facing away from your hands at either
Kicks up and ignores
possible and press the wall. Spread side and kick up everything from the hips
it firmly onto the your legs to aid into a handstand. down (or up, in this case).
wall while ‘walking’ balance. Lean your Bend at the elbows Handstands may be a
the opposite hand weight on one arm, and slowly lower shoulder burner, but make
backwards. Repeat lifting the other and your head to the no mistake – they’re a
full-body endeavour. Tell
WORDS: ANDREW TRACEY; ILLUSTRATION: HARVEY SYMONS
DATE:
June 3, 2007, 3:04am
NAME:
JOSH GIBSON
“I KNEW FROM THAT
MOMENT I’D NEVER
PAUL ROVERE / GETTY IMAGES
FEAT:
A potentially career-ending head
injury gives a gifted footballer AGAIN TAKE FOOTY
renewed motivation in his
AFL career
FOR GRANTED”
130 MEN’S HE ALTH