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EDITORIAL
EDITOR’S LETTER ISSUE 284
DECEMBER 2023

Editor Isaac Williams Men’s Fitness has always been a space to promote physical strength and reaching
Art Director Xavier Robleda a place of comfort in your own body, but it’s a sad fact that big biceps and 5k PBs
Editorial postal address: are no guarantees of long-term happiness. Fitness, though fundamental, is just
Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs one part of the good-health puzzle. Which is why, this issue, we’re placing a
Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL greater emphasis on matters of the mind. From exploring the growing body
of evidence linking
ADVERTISING SALES working out with
KELSEY MEDIA reduced cognitive
Commercial Manager Matt Gilley decline, to Mind’s
01959 543517 new campaign
matt@talk-media.uk encouraging everyone
Ad Production Supervisor Gracie Standen to spend more time
01732 445300 outside, in these
production@talk-media.uk pages you’ll find
plenty of insight and
MANAGEMENT inspiration to keep
Chief Operating Officer Phil Weeden your mind, as well
Managing Director Kevin McCormick as your body, in the
Operations Director Gill Lambert best shape possible.
Retail Director Steve Brown Also in this issue,
Print Production Manager Georgina Harris endurance athlete
Print Production Controller Hayley Brown James Hudson breaks
Senior Subs Marketing Manager from the stick-thin distance runner stereotype, to reveal the strength programme
Nick McIntosh he used to not only train for (and complete) one of the toughest ultramarathons
in the world, but to gain muscle mass in the process. And MF writer Dominic Bliss
DISTRIBUTION (UK) heads to the Highlands for a brutal day following Lochaber Mountain Rescue,
Seymour Distribution Limited whose volunteers give up their spare time to save lives across some of the UK’s
2 East Poultry Avenue, London
wildest terrain.
EC1A 9PT, Tel: 020 7429 4000
seymour.co.uk Isaac Williams, Editor
isaac.williams@kelsey.co.uk
DISTRIBUTION (N. IRELAND AND REP. OF IRELAND)
Newspread, Tel: +353 23 886 3850 INSIDE: HOW TO…
COVER Model: Ade Yusuff (W Models)
Photographer: Eddie Macdonald

Information given is not a substitute for medical advice,

so ensure you check with your GP, medical professional

1 2 3 4
or relevant qualified professional before making any
changes to your healthcare, diet or exercise routine.

Kelsey Media 2023© all rights reserved. Kelsey Media

Run long, stay strong Boost your brain Fight fatigue Build full-body muscle
is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction
in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in The strength plan for Exploring the latest With tester Kieran One resistance
writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles maintaining muscle research around Alger’s pick of the band is all you need
submitted for consideration by the editor must be the mass while training for exercise and brain best energy gels on for this total-body
original work of the author and not previously published. endurance (p26). health (p34). the market (p64). workout (p82).
Where photographs are included, which are not the
property of the contributor, permission to reproduce
them must have been obtained from the owner of the
copyright. The editor cannot guarantee a personal SUBSCRIPTIONS
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For more information on our privacy policy, please visit Kent, ME18 6AL, United Kingdom
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NOVEMBER 2023 3
 CONTENTS
28
“The goal of training was constant
variation, forcing my body to work
hard and improve fast”

IN FOCUS
26 Strength and endurance
Ultrarunner James Hudson on how he completed
one of the toughest races in the world while not
just maintaining, but gaining muscle mass

34 Brain and brawn

Exploring the growing body of evidence linking
UPDATES PERFECT FIT working out with reduced cognitive decline

06 UA Next 21 Coospo Realzone H9Z 40 Line of duty

The programme to find the next generation
of world-class athletes
08 Treadmill training
Some of the unique benefits of indoor running
12 Body transformation
How one MF reader gained 10kg of muscle
in just three months
16 Carl Frampton
An exclusive extract from the legendary
Irish boxer’s autobiography
The best budget heart rate monitor Meet the man who ran the entire length of
London’s Underground rail network in just 11 days
22 Wahoo KICKR ROLLR
Part bike roller, part smart trainer 46 Friends in high places
24 Primal Adjustable Kettlebell MF spends a day with Lochaber Mountain
Up to 18kg in
Rescue, discovering the physical and mental
demands of saving lives in the wild
one impressively
compact unit
54 Take it outside
Mind and Go Outdoors’ new mental health
campaign encourages everyone to spend
more time in the great outdoors

4 DECEMBER 2023
 ISSUE 284 DECEMBER 2023

34 80 FUEL
63 Power plate
Simple rules for a winning dinner,
every night

64 Energy gels
Fight fatigue with the
best-in-test gels

72 Recipes
Quick-fire meals from
gourmet chef Lyndon Gee

82

49 “The operation lasted all night and

the team finished, exhausted, at
6am the following day”
TRAINER
79 Train smarter, not harder
How to navigate dips in motivation

80 At the double
Two-kettlebell, fat-shredding workout

82 Strike up the band

Full-body banded workout for men on the move

86 Tri time
Six-move tri-set core workout

90 Rock and roll

Accelerate recovery with these foam roller drills

94 Get this straight

Fix your posture with this five-move mobility
flow from pliability

96 Check yourself
How to use body scans to ease mental and
physical stress

DECEMBER 2023 5
 NEED-TO-KNOW FITNESS NEWS

WHERE IS IT?
The UA Next Academy is based in the Under
Armour Battersea Brand House (SW8 5BN).
The Academy includes facilities where athletes
can receive advanced training, physiological
assessments and performance guidance from
the Under Armour Athlete Performance Team.

NEXT LEVEL
UA Next is the athletic programme designed
to identify, train and develop the next
generation of world-class athletes

UA Next is Under Armour’s HOW DOES SCORING WORK?

attempt to uncover hidden The overall Athletic Score ranges
from 0 to 100, based on the average
athletic talent in the UK. Developed of the six individual test scores. UA
by sports scientists, the UA Next then puts the scores through an
tests represent the six foundational algorithm, to equalise for age and
areas that high-performing athletes gender. Differences in height and
need to master and maximise their weight between athletes are not taken
game: athletic intelligence, strength, into consideration. The UA Next
Athletic Score represents overall
power, speed, agility and endurance. athletic ability and is not related
From vertical jumps and short to a particular sport or discipline.
sprints to hand grip and reaction
challenges, the tests uncover
strengths and weaknesses, which
the athletes can improve with the
six-week training plan that is
provided. Athletes get a score for
each area, and then one overall UA
Next Athletic Score.
The young athletes who join
the programme stand a chance to
secure a coveted year-long Under
Armour sponsorship, which not only
recognises their potential but also
kick-starts their promising sporting
careers. At the end of the season,
the top ten applicants go to one of
UA’s high-tech facilities for further
testing and analysis. From there, the
top three will win the UA sponsorship, WHO CAN APPLY?
including expert coaching, pro tech The programme is open and free
and kit, and support to build their of charge to team sports athletes
own personal brand. between the ages of 16 and 20. Find out more on the UA Next
website: underarmournext.co.uk

6 DECEMBER 2023
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●UPDATES TREADMILL BENEFITS
RUN OF Whether you’re just
starting your running
THE ’MILL
journey, or have a number
of races and long-distance
events under your belt,
It can get a bad rap in there’s a tool in every gym
serious running circles, that could help to improve
but use it right and your running: the treadmill.
While often overlooked for
the treadmill can be being ‘boring’, the humble
a valuable tool in your hamster wheel can rival
exercise armoury outdoor running for its
overall impact on your
cardiovascular health, and
can even provide some
benefits that road or trail
running can’t match.
Easy adjustments
Unlike the outdoors,
where terrain and gradient
can turn a gentle jog into
an uphill sweat fest, it’s
possible to tailor the speed
and incline of a treadmill to
alter the intensity of your
workout – and get incredibly
specific with drills or
intervals in the process.
If a training plan says to
complete a 60-second hill
rep, the adaptability of
a treadmill means it doesn’t
matter if you live in a pan-flat
part of the country. You can
8 DECEMBER 2023
also undertake all-out
sprint efforts without
having to worry about
dodging other people
or traffic. That specificity
makes it an ideal piece of
kit for those returning from
injury, too, as you’e less
likely to push yourself
too hard, too early.
Low impact
Rather than pounding
the concrete-hard
pavement, when running
on a treadmill your feet are
treated to a softer surface,
with the belt absorbing
some of the force with
every foot stroke. That can
help to minimise injuries to
knees, ankles and hips,
which tend to bear the
brunt during an outdoor run.
What’s more, a 2014 study
found that a treadmill’s
design led users to shorten
their stride and increase their
overall stride rate, lowering
the impact on joints.
Quick cadence
For experienced runners, the
above might not sound like
enough to warrant splashing
Words: Charlie Allenby | Photography: Shutterstock
the cash on a treadmill
or investing in a gym
membership. But what if
we were to tell you that
shortening your stride and
increasing your stride rate
(which a treadmill forces
you to do) could make your
overall technique more
efficient? Rather than
overstriding and bounding,
taking light, short steps will
help you to hold the same
pace for less effort, or even
increase your speed and
smash your 5k PB.
All weathers
While this might seem
obvious, the indoor nature
of a treadmill means you’re
never going to have to
battle wet, windy conditions
and the slip hazards that
come with running in the
rain. It’s not just downpours
you can dodge, either, with
a treadmill and a powerful
fan providing a way to
escape heat and humidity.
The only downside is it
leaves you with one less
excuse for skipping your
workout if the weather’s
refusing to play ball.
 ORDER THE NEXT ISSUE NOW
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 USE EVERY REJECTION VIEW VOUR WEAKNESSES
A S Y O U R M O T I VAT I O N AS OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD NEW STRENGTHS

W H E N T H E Y T E L L Y O U Y O U ’ L L N E V E R P L AY A G A I N Y O U L E A R N M O R E F R O M T H E P U N C H E S TA K E N
SHOOT BACK FROM THE HIP THAN THE ONES DELIVERED

E VERY FAILURE IS JUST

A STEP CLOSER TO VICTORY
T HE L IGH T C OL L EC T ION

B E T T E R N E V E R S T O P S
●UPDATES BODY TRANSFORMATION

“HOW I LOST
FAT AND
GAINED 10KG
OF MUSCLE
IN 3 MONTHS”
After sciatica-related weight gain, Ciro Vassallo decided
to transform his physique and learn to feel good again

WHAT IS SCIATICA?
Sciatica causes pain to radiate along the sciatic nerve
– the largest nerve in the body – which branches from
the lower back down through the back of both legs.
There are several reasons why sciatica might occur,
but it can be debilitating, leaving sufferers crippled in
pain. It affects as much as 40% of the UK population
at some point in their lifetime.

I
t was a debilitating case of sciatica in 2022 that left
29-year-old Ciro Vassallo, a barbershop manager from
North London, unable to move, let alone go to the gym
and exercise. After gaining 11kg in nine months and losing a
fair amount of muscle, Italian-born Vassallo decided to seek
the help of a personal trainer.

Holiday hell
“My sciatica kicked in when I was on holiday,” he says. “It
was so bad at some points I couldn’t reach down to do my
shoes up. My girlfriend was helping me get up from the bed.
It was very bad. I started seeing the physio and doing a lot
of stretching and it started to get better. Then I was foolish
and I went to the gym again, and not even one week after
I’d started, the pain was back.
“It took me eight to nine months with my physio, then
when the pain was almost gone, l decided to start again.”
Vassallo, who’s 5ft 9, crept up from 85kg to 96kg in his
time away from exercise, so called on personal trainer Will
Duru at the end of May 2023, to help him get back in shape.
“I asked Will if he could transform me in three or four
months, to get me back as fast as he could to my old shape,”
says Vassallo. “I wanted to be leaner, but gain a bit of
muscle mass – nothing too crazy.”

12 DECEMBER 2023

Before
After
Light work
“In the beginning, my exercises
were limited,” says Vassallo. “I just
had to get back to being fit. We
did exercises that didn’t force
anything on my back muscles, to
avoid making my sciatica worse.”
Speaking of Vassallo’s initial
training, PT Duru explains, “In the
first two weeks, we just focused on
stretching and cardio – getting his
blood and muscles moving. Ciro had
such stiff hamstrings and glutes, plus
really bad mobility. He had a tight
upper back where his thoracic spine
is. After that, we started strength
and conditioning workouts.”
Words: Lucy Gornall | Photography: Shutterstock / Ciro Vassallo
Vassallo worked with Duru twice
a week and did three of his own
sessions. But his sciatica did limit
his choice of movements: “I avoided
deadlifts and I couldn’t do squats.
Now, slowly I’m getting into them.
I’m doing more reps and lighter
loads, to see how my back reacts.”
Duru adds, “Away from our
sessions, I asked Ciro to focus on
cardio – I didn’t want him doing
strength training with the wrong
technique. Instead, I asked him to
focus on cardio and getting fit.”
Duru also had Vassallo doing four
sets of planks, for a minute each
time, to build up his core strength.
Muscle gain
Over three months, Vassallo
committed to his plan and lost
10kg of fat, while increasing his
muscle mass by 10kg. “We did
one day of chest and back for
45 minutes, then we’d focus on
doing a HIIT workout for the last
15 minutes,” says Duru, of the
two sessions a week he had with
Vassallo. The HIIT workout typically
consisted of 30 seconds on the
assault bike, a 30-second plank
and 20kg kettlebell farmer’s walk,
followed by a minute’s rest,
repeated four times. “We’d also
finish with four sets of 15 leg raises,
to work the core,” adds Duru.
“On our second day together
we would train legs, but it was
more functional leg training,
incorporating moves such as sled
pushes, walking lunges, farmer’s
walks and leg extensions. We’d
do these moves for 30 minutes
as a circuit, and then for the
final 30 minutes we’d focus on
bodyweight training, such as dips,
press-ups and bodyweight squats.”
Weight loss
Duru put Vassallo on a 16-hour fast,
three days a week. In practice, that
meant “a protein bar at 4pm, then
just water until breakfast.” The
calories weren’t overly restricted,
though, with an allowance of 2,200
a day across a high-protein,
medium-carb, low-fat diet. He also
took l-glutamine and l-leucine
supplements, to aid muscle recovery.
“To begin with it was hard,”
admits Vassallo, “but it felt great
DAILY DIET
How Ciro Vassallo shed unwanted body fat
Breakfast Lunch
Greek yogurt Sweet potato
with fruit and with chicken
granola and salad
after a while and I didn’t have
a lack of energy.”
As for cheat days, Vassallo
would enjoy a meal of whatever
he wanted on a Sunday (“pizza for
sure, as a good Italian!”), but he
gave up alcohol altogether. “I didn’t
drink when I was training with
Will,” he says, “and I haven’t drunk
at all for a couple of months now.
I’ve never been a big drinker, so it
wasn’t too hard to give up.”
A new man
Vassallo was able to lose fat and
build muscle by focusing on high
reps, drop sets and plenty of
intensity. “We placed less focus
on increasing the weight, because
of his sciatica,” says Duru.
It’s a formula that has worked
wonders. “Since training, the back
pain and sciatica has completely
gone,” says Vassallo. “I have no
problems anymore. I feel stronger,
and I have more energy and more
stamina. My belly and upper body
have changed the most, but I’ve also
got shoulders and a chest again!”
As for what the future holds,
Vassallo is keen to continue his
training, and maintain his current
shape and fitness while keeping
his sciatica at bay.
“Our big focus for Ciro is to
get him doing a 15km run next
year, pain-free,” says Duru. “I’ll also
be incorporating more barbell
work gradually, while ensuring his
stretches and mobility exercises
remain a priority. Resting is not
the answer for most injuries;
movement is.”
Dinner
Salad with
protein – usually
salmon or chicken
DECEMBER 2023 13
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●UPDATES CARL FRAMPTON

“IT ONLY TOOK

T
hey needn’t have worried.
I never had any fear in the

A ROUND OR TWO gym. Billy (McKee, was

founder and coach at Midland ABC)

BEFORE THEY REALISED always used to say it, how game

I was, how I never thought twice

THEY’D BITTEN OFF

before getting in the ring with
another kid. Others asked a lot

MORE THAN THEY

of questions before sparring and
things like that. Who is the other

COULD CHEW IF THEY

kid? What age is he? What weight
is he? How many fights has he had?

STARTED ON ME”
I never cared. I was happy to get in
with whoever and as it was tough
to find anyone as small as me it
always tended to be a bigger, older,
In this extract from his new book, My Autobiography, legendary stronger fella in the opposite corner.
I wasn’t a wee hard man on the
Irish boxer Carl Frampton reflects on his journey into the sport street. If anything, I was too shy
and at that age probably preferred
to back down from physical
confrontation rather than seek it
out. I was never bullied or anything,
but like any other kid, you got into
scraps. And maybe being so small
I could have become more of a target.
I think that might have been part of
my ma’s thinking in sending me to
the boxing. But in the club every
Monday, Wednesday and Friday I’d
move about the ring with all the
lads in the area anywhere near my
age and it only took a round or two
before they realised they’d bitten
off more than they could chew if
they started on me.
The other thing Billy said was
Photography: INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan

Born to box:
Frampton showed that as well as having the heart and
natural athleticism balls to get in the ring and get
early on
punched in the face without running
away crying, he could see from the
off I was an athlete. The reflexes,
the agility, the flexibility, the
coordination, they were all there.
With a bit of natural strength as
well they saw from the start that
I had what was required to do
well in a physical sport, and I was

16 DECEMBER 2023

definitely a kid they could work
with and develop.
Because of all that, they paid
me more attention than the others
from that first week. Both Billy and
Joe (Farrell, was coach at Midland
ABC and ex-army) worked with
me in those early days, although
I was always closer to Billy. Joe
was a very intimidating figure back
then. I caught up with him in my
teens just before he passed away
and he’d calmed down a lot by then,
but when I was first in the gym
there was definitely a bit of a fear
of Joe. He was an ex-army man,
fought in Korea I think, and liked
things very regimented. He didn’t
like music in the gym during training
and I remember him smashing CD
players off the wall. He didn’t like
us drinking water for some reason
either. We weren’t allowed to bring
our own bottle and instead he filled
an empty milk carton with water
which we all had to share. He didn’t
even let us swallow the water,
but instead had us spit it out into
a bucket.
He was always very hard to
please as well. He’d take me on the
pads, his top off and his trunks
pulled up high over one of those
massive, hard, barrel bellies some
guys get. He’d push me and push
me and when I started to tire, he’d
be hitting me with the pads. Hitting
me so it hurt. Hitting me hard enough
that I’d be back home in tears
saying I’m not fucking going back
there. Bullying is a very strong word,
but it was an approach you certainly
wouldn’t get away with today.
As I grew older, I gained more
respect for Joe and maybe an
understanding that he was doing
what in his head was the right thing
to do to make a kid with obvious
“
I was definitely
a kid they could
work with and
develop
natural talent into a champion. And
maybe it did play a part. I’m sure if
he treated 100 kids the way he
treated me, not many of them would
have kept going back to the gym
three days a week, so maybe the fact
I did and came out the other side
gave me an edge others didn’t have.
I loved boxing but hated the
hard, regimented, repetitive nature
of the training. I was in there every
Monday, Wednesday and Friday
from 6:30pm to 8pm. Same drills,
same exercises, same constant
bollockings from Joe. Being
honest, I much preferred football
back then. And if there was
a timetable clash, like there
Photography: Mark Marlow
sometimes was on a Wednesday
evening, I’d always pick football.
That never went down well with
Joe as you can imagine.
Everyone has done a bit of
boxing. But very few see it through.
In my case, it was always my ma
forcing me out the door and back
to the club when I was having
a wee moan about it all. It’s a little
strange because it wasn’t like she
came from a massive boxing family
or anything like that. Both my
grandas liked talking boxing and
my ma’s da apparently did a bit
of bare-fisted fighting years ago,
but we weren’t one of those
families that had trophies and
medals all over the house so that
you grew up just expected to carry
on a tradition. I think she just knew
I was decent at it.
Carl Frampton: My
Autobiography by Carl
Frampton with Paul D
Gibson is available now.
DECEMBER 2023 17
PICTURE “It’s how I regulate my emotions and
allow myself the headspace to process

PREVIEW and deal with the challenges of my

life,” says Jonny Davies, whose
transformation from run-sceptic to ultrarunner extraordinaire
has just culminated in an incredible feat of endurance:
‘Run the Line’. This summer, Davies ran the entire length
of every London Underground line in just 11 days. That’s
a grand total of 572km. To find out how (and why) he did
it, hotfoot your way to page 40.
Photography: Shutterstock
 “ I’ve a lways tru ste d
We l l m a n - my we l l b e i n g
i s a to p p ri o ri ty.”

David Gandy
British entrepreneur
& supermodel

health & vitality

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 EXPERT-TESTED PRODUCTS

GET REAL
The Coospo Realzone H9Z may be a no-frills heart rate
monitor, writes Kieran Alger, but it’s cheap, reliable
and has a useful rechargeable battery upgrade

Coospo Realzone H9Z

£36, coospo.com

The Realzone H9Z chest

strap offers much the same
basic set-up as its slightly cheaper
stablemate, the Coospo H808S. But
there’s one big difference: it swaps the
classic chest strap coin-op battery for
a rechargeable sensor with its own
USB dock.

Key features
The H9Z sensor is lighter, more compact
and a shade more comfortable than
the H808S. Everything else is largely
the same. That includes good, reliable
connectivity with ANT+ and Bluetooth
5.0, and support for two simultaneous
connections to your favourite fitness
machines, apps and fitness trackers.
The Coospo Realzone H9Z is IP67
rated, so it’ll handle sweat and rain
– and being submerged in a metre of
water. But it’s not suitable for swimming.
Like the H808S, there’s no onboard
memory either, so you can’t track and
sensor, so you can see what zone
store workouts independently, and
you’re working in. But that’s only
then sync later.
useful if you’re training with your
The strap is pretty standard. It’s
shirt off.
not as soft as some chest straps, but
I found its accuracy to be solid.
still perfectly comfortable. In testing,
In tests, the H9Z matched the £400
I wore it for up to three hours at
a time, plus during lots of dynamic Frontier X2 and the most accurate
gym sessions, and had no problems arm strap HRM – the Polar Verity
with rubbing, chafing or cutting. Sense – almost beat for beat. The
highs, lows and averages were a close
Tracking match, too.
In terms of tracking, there are no bells Battery life is also good. On paper,
and whistles here. The H9Z clocks you get up to 50 hours of standby and
heart rate, heart rate variability and approximately 32 hours’ training time
calories, and offers zone training alerts on a single charge. In my tests, the
via the partner app. But there’s no battery life was barely touched, even
additional smarts, such as running after a two-hour session.
form tracking, step counting or other
data you find on pricier straps, such as Is it worth it?
the Garmin HRM Pro Plus. This is a simple but functional heart Pros
There are some really helpful rate monitor. If all you want is your Rechargeable battery
touches, though. When you connect heart rate beamed to your watch, bike Excellent value
the sensor, it beeps to let you know computer, training platform or fitness
it’s working. All HRMs should do this. app, the Coospo Realzone H9Z offers Cons
There’s also a five-colour LED on the excellent bang for your buck. Tracking limited to BPM
No built-in memory
Comfort: ★ ★★ ★ ★ Accuracy: ★ ★★ ★ ★ Tracking features: ★ ★★★ ★ OVERALL: ★ ★★ ★ ★

DECEMBER 2023 21
●PERFECT FIT WAHOO KICKR ROLLR

ROLL WITH IT
Part bike roller, part smart trainer, the KICKR ROLLR can reinvent and gamify your indoor cycle sessions,
writes Laurence McJannet

WAHOO KICKR ROLLER

£699.99, uk.wahoofitness.com

It turns out you might not need to buy a brand-new
exercise bike to get your cardio fix during the
winter months. Because, with the Wahoo KICKR
ROLLR, the best bike is the one you already own.
It’s a hybrid between a traditional bike roller and
smart trainer. Rather than removing the rear wheel,
like most smart trainers, with the KICKR ROLLR
your entire bike slots in. The rear wheel sits on
dual rollers, while the front wheel is clamped still.
If you’ve ever used a set of traditional rollers,
you’ll know how difficult they are to get the hang
of. Once you’ve mastered them, though, they’re
great for developing balance and handling skills.
Weight: 23kg
Max rider weight: 113kg
Features: Dual roller system; Ant+ & Bluetooth
connectivity; 1,500 Watts max power output;
14-day Wahoo X free trial; 10% max grade
simulation; quick-adjust wheelbase clamp
But it’s best to set up next to something around
hip height to hold onto, to aid mounting and
dismounting. With the KICKR ROLLR, there’s no
such issue, as the bike is held firm, but you still get
the roller ‘feel’ from the rear wheel. You also get
the additional benefits of smart training insights
through Bluetooth connectivity to Wahoo’s suite
of apps. And if you have a power meter, you can
enjoy variable resistance levels up to 10%.
Setting it up
It comes in two main parts and assembly is
surprisingly straightforward. The front portion
is a hinged stand that unfolds almost to a right
angle. From there, the rear portion with the roller
slots into the tube that runs perpendicular to the
front stand. All you need to do is slot the bike’s
front wheel into the clamp, tighten it, then move
the rear roller section so the rear wheel touches
both rollers. Then just secure the clamp and you’re
good to go.

22 DECEMBER 2023
For basic operation, you don’t need
to connect to any app – you can just
jump on for warm-up and cool-down
efforts. But for speed, distance and
time (as well as heart rate if you want
to connect a chest strap), you’ll need
the Wahoo Fitness app. It took a few
attempts to pair my android phone
with the unit’s sensor. But once you
have, starting a workout is easy – just
hit ‘start’ and begin pedalling.
As there’s little data on display,
the numbers are big and bold – which
is just as well, as you’ll probably have
your phone or tablet on a table next
to you. That’s because there’s nowhere
to mount a screen on the unit. Wahoo
is obviously hoping that you’ll opt for
the additional KICKR Desk Stand. But
for an extra £229, that seems a bit
steep for what is essentially an
adjustable laptop stand.
I tended to use this standard
mode for warm-up and cool-down
sessions – it came in handy as
a trackside roller at a few recent
cyclo-cross races, too. In fact, I’d seen
this exact model used as standard for
all riders warming up for the recent
World Time Trial Championships in
Glasgow, so it’s good to know it’s
used by elite-level riders.
There’s no real engagement with
the Wahoo Fitness app, though.
You’ve just got the basics: speed,
distance and time. Where things
get really interesting is using the
free 14-day trial subscription to
Wahoo X, to access the SYSTM and
RGT apps. I’m not sure why these
apps can’t be combined into one,
but they give you access to much
more engaging content.
Getting connected
Wahoo’s tendency to drop vowels
from its product names aside, the
Wahoo X suite of apps turn the KICKR
ROLLR into a completely different
beast. SYSTM offers a comprehensive
collection of structured workouts and
training plans, which you can tailor
towards your own fitness objectives.
RGT, meanwhile, is Wahoo’s immersive
virtual gaming platform, which allows
you to cycle in various locations with
fellow cyclists.
Annual membership is reasonable
at £135, marginally less that Zwift’s
£12 a month. That said, Zwift is one
of a number of third-party apps you
can also use with the KICKR ROLLR,
so the choice is yours.
As I already own Wahoo’s
ELEMNT RIVAL multisport watch,
I was already using the subscription-
free ELEMNT app. I was pleasantly
surprised to see that ELEMNT and
Wahoo Fitness integrate seemlessly.
Whenever I recorded a KICKR ROLLR
workout in Wahoo Fitness, it would automatically
update the weekly cycling targets I had set on
my RIVAL watch – without me having to set it
up. It was simple to post workouts to my Strava
account, too.
Room for improvement
The only issue I had with the KICKR ROLLR was
the sturdiness of the front wheel clasp. Unlike fixed
exercise bikes, this mechanism can’t help but
create a degree of flex. It’s not a criticism of the
KICKR ROLLR per se – with a carbon forked road
bike I think this would happen with any similar unit.
It just means that it’s not the kind of set-up where
you can confidently get out of the saddle and put
the power down. If you stay seated, however, it’s
barely noticeable.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that the rear of
the unit is pretty heavy. Although this is a great
warm-up option for races and cycle events, you’ll
need to be careful lugging it out of the car. Bear
in mind, too, that if you’re using it outdoors, you’ll
have no power, so won’t be able to broadcast any
speed metrics. There are no adjustable feet, either,
so you’ll need to find a level surface. (And don’t use
it during wet weather.)
Again, as the unit is primarily designed for
indoor use, these things shouldn’t really be seen
as negatives. The only other real negative during
my two-month test was not being able to mount
a screen directly to the unit.
Is it worth buying?
If you’re looking for a simple solution for indoor
riding that’s easy to set up and put away, you
can’t go wrong with the Wahoo KICKR ROLLR.
Likewise, if you’re looking for a roller substitute
for races, the ROLLR ticks that box, too. Its variety
of uses and unique ride experience makes it
a worthy investment.
Smart features: H HH H H Stability: H HH H H
Comfort: H HH H H OVERALL: H HH H H
Pros
Real-ride feel
Easy-adjust bike fit system
Power-meter compatible
Cons
Only basic ride stats without subscription
Nowhere to mount a small screen
DECEMBER 2023 23
●PERFECT FIT ADJUSTABLE KETTLEBELL
TIME TO ADJUST
If space is at a premium, writes Leon Poultney, Primal Strength’s Adjustable Kettlebell offers a decent spread of weights in a compact unit
Primal Personal Series
Adjustable Kettlebell
£149.99, primalstrength.com
Having space in your home gym
set-up to house a range of free
weights isn’t easy. But anyone looking
to maximise gains from progressive
overload will benefit from at least
three individual kettlebells covering
a decent weight spread. Which is
where adjustable kettlebells come
in. Like their dumbbell counterparts,
these clever and compact units
cram a useable weight spread into
a very small footprint.
Key features
Primal’s Adjustable Kettlebell offers
five weights in a well-designed
package. The design has a rotating
dial at the top, to select the weights
beneath it. The lower the weight
you select, the fewer plates the
kettlebell picks up. Unlike some
other rivals, such as the Bowflex
SelectTech 840 Kettlebell, there’s
no tray, so you don’t have to cart
around an extra piece of plastic when
you want to move the kettlebell.
Simply select the max weight and
away you go.
That said, this design feature is
also a quirk that impacts the overall
user experience, as the fewer weight
plates you select, the smaller the
Primal Personal Series Adjustable
Kettlebell gets. In fact, select the
lowest 4.5kg option and it’s little
more than a handle.
Grip: H HH H Weight range: H HH H H Ease of adjustment: H HH H H OVERALL: H HH H H
24 DECEMBER 2023
Build quality
The quality of Primal kit tends to
be excellent and it’s no different
here. At this price, I’d say it’s one
of the most robust and reliable
adjustable kettlebells we’ve tested.
The unit is made from a number of
materials, including aluminum, steel,
polypropylene, nylon and ABS, but
they all feel tough and able to
withstand a bashing. Like their
adjustable dumbbell counterparts,
the best adjustable kettlebells don’t
take too kindly to dropping, as it can
damage the selection mechanism.
That said, if I had to drop any,
it would be this one. That’s purely
because it feels like it’s been built
to last. The only downside is the
selection dial, which isn’t the
slickest to use. Firstly, you have to
pinch a safety catch in order to spin
the dial, and secondly, it doesn’t
rotate a full 360. Switching from
4.5kg to 18kg and back again
requires a full turn in each direction,
for example.
Performance
Of the many adjustable kettlebells
I’ve tested, Primal’s option felt like
the most natural to use. Surprisingly,
Primal has done the obvious thing
and based its design on – shock,
horror – a traditional kettlebell.
Naturally, that makes using the
Personal Series much more intuitive
and comfortable. When fully laden,
the difference in workout feel to
a traditional, solid kettlebell is
negligible, aside from a slight
rattling sound from the numerous
stacked plates.
There is plenty of room between
the handle and the bell, while
well-defined horns make it easy
to grip in numerous ways. I also
appreciated the groove that runs
down each flank, making it far more
comfortable to perform snatches
and overhead pressing movements,
seeing as there’s somewhere
comfortable to rest the wrist. The
handle features a textured nylon
covering, so grip is excellent. Throw
some chalk on your hands and this
thing isn’t going anywhere.
As previously mentioned,
shedding weight plates means
the kettlebell effectively loses its
shape until all that’s left is a handle.
Swinging with anything below
7.75kg feels a bit odd and it just
doesn’t have the right amount of
inertia to get into a nice rhythm.
That said, the groove that runs along
the sides extends all the way to the
top, so any overhead movements
with lower weight selected remain
comfortable to perform.
Is it worth it?
Hats off to Primal for creating an
adjustable kettlebell that looks and
feels like its traditional counterparts.
Out of everything I’ve tested, this
handled the most like a traditional
kettlebell, so long as you kept the
weight relatively high. That said, it
isn’t perfect, and the main trade-off
with these adjustable units is the
overall workout feel when compared
to some of the best kettlebells out
there. Still, if space is at a premium,
this is a great option for the price.
Photography: Leon Poultney
Pros
18kg in a small package
Secure locking mechanism
Ergonomic design
Cons
Loses kettlebell feel at lower weights
Weight selection dial can be fiddly
 “
These compact
units cram
a useable weight
spread into a very
small footprint

DECEMBER 2023 25
IN FOCUS ULTRA STRENGTH TRAINING
GIVE ME
STRENGTH
In an attempt to complete the ‘hardest
mountain ultramarathon in the world’ while
maintaining his hard-earned muscle mass,
James Hudson set out to strike the perfect
balance between tailored strength training and
aerobic conditioning. Here’s how he did it
26 DECEMBER 2023
I
was handed the results
from my DEXA (dual x-ray
absorptiometry) scan, the
gold standard method for
measuring body composition.
There was just a week to go before
I was set to run the 380km
(236 miles) Dragon’s Back Race,
promisingly dubbed the ‘hardest
mountain ultramarathon in the
world’. I had signed up to this race
because I wanted an adventure,
and the idea of running the length
of Wales, while climbing a total of
17,400 metres in the process (over
twice the height of Everest), for
some reason, appealed to me. My
personal sporting background is
rugby, then weight lifting and a bit
of CrossFit, but I wanted
something different – exciting.
So, for the previous ten months,
I trained specifically for this race.
Crucially, though, I set myself the
goal of maintaining or even building
muscle mass, while getting enough
running in my legs to stand a chance
of completing the event.
I read the numbers on the
DEXA report: body fat 8.75% and
lean mass 71.75kg – up from 71.71kg
ten months ago. I had done it, just.
Although this may seem like a small
gain, and it is in the context of
bodybuilding, the fact I was able to
build muscle while doing four-hour
runs on a Saturday followed by
five-hour runs on a Sunday – with

a sprinkling throughout the week
– felt monumental.
The obvious question, of
course, is why this was important
to me. Well, I would say there were
advantages and disadvantages.
The obvious downside is that you
are carrying more weight, which
means you are working harder. This
extra weight resulted in frequently
getting overtaken on the hills (of
which there were many).
The upsides were that I enjoy
having more muscle mass – call it
vanity or ego, but I prefer to fill
out a t-shirt than have a set of
spaghetti arms. Also, more muscle
means more strength, so navigating
©Dragon’s Back Race | Reuben Tabner Bib Number Photography
some of the ‘grade 1’ scrambles
present on Day 1 of the Dragon’s
Back felt easier. A Grade 1 means
using both your hands and feet to
climb, and it was pretty gnarly in
places – I was thankful I could lift
my bodyweight with ease. I may
have been getting passed on the
ups, but I absolutely flew on the
downhills because my quads,
©Dragon’s Back Race | Reuben Tabner Bib Number Photography
which physiologically are my
brakes when running down, were
strong. Finally, I think having more
muscle and spending more time
in the gym than most ultrarunners
made me more robust. In fact, I didn’t
experience any injuries either in
training or the race.
I should say that I’m not
a professional athlete, and chose
to sign up to this event for fun, so
the process of training towards it
needed to be fun, too. Although
I do enjoy running, I also love to
get stuck into a weight-lifting
programme. This quantity of S&C
may not be right for elite runners,
where being light on their feet
provides fast times, but for your
average Joe more interested in
completing an ultra while keeping
up their strength and figure,
I would highly recommend it.
Getting a plan together
I knew I didn’t have the knowledge
to design a strength and
conditioning programme that
ULTRA STRENGTH TRAINING IN FOCUS
would allow me to build muscle
while doing so much running. So,
I worked with Adam Edwards
(@_your_evolution), an S&C coach
from my local gym.
Adam watched how I moved
as we performed a few tests. It was
clear I had weak hamstrings, and
quads would take over the lifting
whenever possible. Although having
strong quads was helpful on the
downhills, we decided strengthening
the main running muscles, namely
the glutes and hamstrings, should
be a new priority.
The plan used a ‘conjugate
system’, which meant I was
working on all systems (strength,
hypertrophy and speed) at the
same time. This is unlike classic
western periodisation, where there
would be a hypertrophy block,
followed by a strength block,
followed by a speed block. This
interlinking system was great, as it
meant I didn’t lose gains from one
block (detraining) while working
on a different system. Happily, it
More muscle
means more
“
strength, so
navigating some
of the grade 1
scrambles felt
easier
DECEMBER 2023 27
 ©Dragon’s Back Race | Reuben Tabner Bib Number Photography
IN FOCUS ULTRA STRENGTH TRAINING

stronger – acting like a pyramid

effect. For example, banded
hamstring curl (lower) and seated
row (upper).

Maximum effort for

worked, too, as my strength
numbers and dynamic strength
were always increasing.
“Our goal was for your body
to never fully adapt to an exercise,”
Adam told me. “The goal of our
training was for constant variation,
forcing your body to work hard
and improve fast.”
As the race drew closer, we
reduced gym volume, but the
training structure remained the
same. That was because a couple
of months out from the race,
my weekly hours of running had
picked up significantly, so we
needed to reduce the number of
weekly gym sessions and exercises
to allow for better recovery. When
we needed to reduce gym days, it
was the upper-body sessions that
were sacrificed, because they were
less tailored to ultrarunning success.
It’s worth pointing out there
was a lot of running, too – typically
four times a week. I worked with
improved endurance
Adam was keen for me to train
‘max effort’ in the gym two days
a week, because of how it can cross
over for endurance. Endurance
means holding a consistent output
for a prolonged period of time.
As soon as you can hold a higher
would have a main movement, output for a prolonged period,
a secondary movement and some your endurance has increased.
supplementary exercises. Endurance in the weights room
is anything 60% and lower than
MAIN MOVEMENT your 1RM.
Big, compound lift. This is where If I went from a 100kg 1RM
I was going for one-rep maxes squat, my endurance weight may
(1RM) on the max effort days. For be 50% of that, so I’d continue to
example, Romanian deadlift (lower) squat 50kg for a specific amount
and bench press (upper). of time/reps. If I added 50kg to
my 1RM, then a new estimation for
SECONDARY MOVEMENT my endurance weight would be
Second heaviest exercise, to make 75kg, which is 50% of the new 1RM.
the first exercise stronger. For When following the conjugate
example, barbell good morning system, I was lifting based on
(lower) and shoulder press (upper). percentages of my ever-increasing
1RMs. So there was overload from
SUPPLEMENTARY MOVEMENT an ever-increasing volume, which
For the hypertrophy element and increases maximum strength and,
to make the secondary movement as a by-product, endurance.

©Dragon’s Back Race | Reuben Tabner Bib Number Photography

a coach and followed a plan
alongside this gym work.

Five-day split
The four days of gym work
consisted of two days of max effort
(upper and lower) and two days of
dynamic effort (upper and lower).
For the fifth day of training, Adam
had me pull a 40kg sled around my
local park for durations ranging from
30 to 60 minutes. This was to
stimulate the running muscles (he
was very particular with my posture:
upright and driving the heels back
into the ground), without having to
do another run session. Each day

28 DECEMBER 2023
 ULTRA STRENGTH TRAINING IN FOCUS

Dynamic effort for

sustained force
The goal of the dynamic effort
ESSENTIAL EXERCISES
Five foundational movements in the Dragon’s Back
days was to produce as much force
training plan
as possible in each exercise. Adam
paired the max effort days with
dynamic effort days, to help my 1. HAMSTRING WARM-UP ON THE GHD
This exercise was to get the body ready and primed for lower-body
running. One study, by Paavolainen
sessions (max and dynamic). It hits the key running areas: spine, core,
et al. (1999), showed that explosive hips and hamstrings.
strength and endurance training
improved a 5k distance time trial
in well-trained endurance athletes,
without changes in their VO2 max.
For example, if a runner has an
average stride length of 2m during
a 5km race, they complete the 5k
in around 2,500 steps. So, if they
improved their force production
in each stride/step (improving
stride length and reducing ground
contact time) by 100th of a second,
they can save 25 seconds in a 5k
race. If you take this principle
and apply it to marathons and
ultramarathons – where the amount
of steps/strides taken is so much
greater – it makes sense that force
production will have a big impact COACH SAYS
on performance. “Do whatever
What I can tell you is that tempo feels good,”
Adam told me. “Go
during the race, I felt like I could for 10-15 reps and
hold good running form day after 2-3 sets, but if you
day, mile after mile – I still felt feel good after
1 set, that’ll do.”
bouncy. Even on the final day,
I was still able to generate good
force in each step. In fact, I had
some of my fastest splits of the
entire race.
Dynamic days often involved
the use of bands. Why? “Because
of the law of accommodation,”
explained Adam. If you do the
same exercises with the same
percentages, you get the same
results. With bands, instead of
simply working against gravity,
you’re also working against the
tension of the bands. When you
lift heavy, you normally slow down,
but with bands you can increase
force and still move fast.
Over the following pages, I’ve
listed some of the key exercises
that formed the backbone of my
programme. They are excellent
for runners, to help build strength
and explosive power.

DECEMBER 2023 29
IN FOCUS ULTRA STRENGTH TRAINING

2. BANDED BOX SQUAT (WIDE STANCE)

Our plan was to have a wide stance (like
a sumo deadlift stance), and ensure my hips
went backward first, as this would engage the
glutes, hamstrings, abductors, adductors and
all-supporting hip muscles. The bands were
programmed for multiple reasons: to teach
me to keep pushing through the exercise, to
provide a different stimulus, and something
called ‘overspeed eccentrics.’ The bands end
up driving you down at a faster rate (hence
the term overspeed eccentric), so it helps you
drive up (the concentric phase) at a faster rate,
increasing speed. This is a great way to train
greater force production.

COACH SAYS
“Typically, people set up with feet just wider than
their knees,” Adam told me, “but this can bring the
knees into extension early, causing the lower back
to take over the second part of the movement.
As for the box, in running, the eccentric and
concentric phases are separate, because there
isn’t constant tension. When you squat down to
the box, some muscles relax and some are still
contracted to keep stability, so the box mimics
the running pattern.”

3. BANDED LEANING JUMP 4. PRONE BANDED SINGLE-LEG

I loved these, because I could feel my lazy hamstrings turn
on. They are a great supplementary exercise for runners.
They allowed me to overload my calves (jumping up and
down on the balls of my feet). This exercise also promoted
good running form, because of the slight bow shape your
body naturally makes. The band added accommodating
resistance, to allow the body to adapt and get fitter, training
my running muscles in an optimal position.
HAMSTRING CURL
We used light bands, because there is
a similarity between how a light band stretches
and recoils, and how muscles lengthen and
shorten. The similarity means this movement is
more functional. For example, if you compare
a hamstring curl on a machine, where the
movement is prescribed by the machine, to
lying down on your tummy and curling your
legs against a band, the latter has a much more
‘normal’ range of movement from that joint.
Bands are great for this movement, because
they add the right stimulus at the right point
of the exercise. It continues to get harder
closer to the end of the rep.
 ULTRA STRENGTH TRAINING IN FOCUS

5. BANDED SUMO DEADLIFT

While running, it’s always the concentric
movement that pushes us forward, so our
ULTRA STRENGTH
mission was to train the concentric movements PROGRAMME
of these lifts in as many different ways as A sample three-week breakdown from
possible, to provide overload and allow my James Hudson’s Dragon’s Back S&C plan
body to adapt. Adam suggested I start from
a ‘dead stop’ (no bouncing of the bar after each
rep), to ensure I was overloading the concentric
phase. Similar to the box squat, this exercise had
a wide sumo stance, to hit the running muscles
(glutes, hamstrings and hip stabilisers). Lifting
sumo style has the added bonus of taking the
pressure off the lower back. Adam programmed
this exercise with bands, because of the force
velocity curve. This basically means the closer
you get to completing the lift, the more force
you need to produce.

DAY 1
Max effort lower
MAIN MOVEMENT EXERCISE SETS REPS

Week 1 Box squat 3 1

Week 2 Sumo deadlift 3 1

Week 3 Good morning 3 3

SECONDARY MOVEMENT

Week 1 Romanian deadlift (RDL) 4 6

Week 2 Hip thrust 4 6

Week 3 Front squat 4 6

SUPPLEMENTARY MOVEMENT

Week 1 Glute hamstring raise 4 6-12

COACH SAYS Week 2 Standing hamstring curl 5 25

“When you just use the bar’s weight,” says Adam,
“a lot of the force is diminished, as the lift comes Week 3 Calf raise 5 30
to an abrupt end. So the bands are great, as they
continue to make the lift harder right the way Week 4 Wide leg press 4 20
to the end of the movement. Sumo deadlifts are
probably one of the best exercises for running.”

DECEMBER 2023 31
IN FOCUS ULTRA STRENGTH TRAINING

DAY 2
Max effort upper
MAIN MOVEMENT EXERCISE SETS REPS

Photography: Shutterstock
Week 1 Bench press 2 1

Week 2 Shoulder press 3 3

Week 3 Floor press 2 1 When he's not running ultras or lifting

weights, James Hudson is a registered sport
SECONDARY MOVEMENT nutritionist and the founder of Nutrition for
Energy (nutritionforenergy.co.uk).
Week 1 Banded dip 4 8

Week 2 Close-grip bench 5 8

DAY 4
Week 3 Bent-over row 5 8
Dynamic effort upper
MAIN MOVEMENT EXERCISE SETS REPS
SUPPLEMENTARY MOVEMENT
Bench press (banded 45% weight,
Week 1 Dumbbell flye 4 15 Week 1 5 5
30% band tension)
Week 2 Incline bench press 3 25 Pin press (banded 50% weight,
Week 2 5 5
30% band tension)
Week 3 Lateral raise 4 15
Wide bench press (banded 55%
Week 4 JM press 5 6 Week 3 5 5
weight, 30% band tension)

SECONDARY MOVEMENT
DAY 3
Dynamic effort upper Week 1 Bent-over row 5 10

MAIN MOVEMENT EXERCISE SETS REPS Week 2 Dumbbell shoulder press 4 8

Box squat (banded 45% weight, Week 3 Pull-up (weighted) 5 6

Week 1 12 3
30% band tension)
SUPPLEMENTARY MOVEMENT
Box squat (banded 50% weight,
Week 2 12 3
30% band tension) Week 1 Seated row 4 15

Box squat (banded 55% weight, Week 2 Lat pulldown 4 20

Week 3 10 3
30% band tension)
Week 3 Triceps extension 4 10
SECONDARY MOVEMENT
Week 4 Tate press 4 12
Week 1 RDL 5 8

Week 2 Good morning 5 6 DAY 5

Sled pull
Week 3 Sumo deadlift 5 6
MAIN MOVEMENT EXERCISE TIME
SUPPLEMENTARY MOVEMENT
Week 1 Sled pull (40g) 30
Week 1 Prone leg curl (banded) 5 20

Week 2 Seated hamstring curl 5 25

Week 2 Sled pull (40g) 35
Week 3 Soleus raise 5 30
Week 3 Sled pull (40g) 40
Week 4 Banded march 5 30m

32 DECEMBER 2023
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IN FOCUS BRAIN AND BRAWN
Joe Phelan explores the growing body of evidence
linking exercise to delayed cognitive decline
T
he gradual fading of mental
sharpness is a natural part
of the ageing process. It’s
something we all, to varying degrees,
will inevitably experience during our
twilight years. Yet, despite the gloomy
outlook, it’s becoming increasingly
clear that cognitive decline is something
we can battle against. Various studies
have concluded that we have a certain
degree of power when it comes to
halting, or even minimising the effects
of the deterioration of a brain that’s
long in the tooth. Researchers from
around the globe have found that
committing to regular bouts of exercise
34 DECEMBER 2023
can play a significant role in keeping
our minds sharp. In fact, it turns out
that working out could well be the
ultimate weapon.
Change your mind
For many people, exercise is not just
about physical fitness; it’s also a path
to maintaining and improving mental
health. The brain benefits of working
out have long been understood, and
these positive impacts are becoming
clearer as scientific knowledge grows.
Exercise is, for example, a simple yet
highly effective means of boosting
dopamine and serotonin, key chemicals
for happiness and motivation. These
chemicals can endure long after a
workout has ended. What is perhaps
less well known is the fact that exercise
can also keep our brains operating
healthily as we age.
“There are many aspects in which
exercise can directly influence cognitive
function by positively impacting brain
activity,” says Antonina Pereira, professor
of neuropsychology and neuroscience
at the University of Chichester. “Exercise
bolsters cardiovascular health, which
increases blood flow and oxygen
supply to the brain. This fosters new
blood vessels and invigorates brain
BRAIN AND BRAWN IN FOCUS

DECEMBER 2023 35
IN FOCUS BRAIN AND BRAWN

cells, enhancing cerebral function.

“It also triggers the release
of ‘brain-derived neurotrophic
factor’ (BDNF), which shapes
neurons, nurtures resilience and
weaves synaptic plasticity,
enhancing learning and memory.
Most importantly, exercise can
also deliver an anti-inflammatory
response, creating a brain
environment that is hostile to
cognitive decline.”
Exercise can, according to
scores of studies, help us retain
memory, continue learning and
expanding our recreational
horizons long into retirement, and
even make us less susceptible to
dementia. When we exercise, the
brain reacts in a variety of
incredible ways. Numerous
physiological and neurochemical
changes occur, and many of
these are related to improved
cognitive function.

Healthy body, healthy mind

Researchers have found that
exercise not only has the ability to
delay the brain’s deterioration, but
can also encourage the growth of
new neurons and synapses. By
developing new connections and
getting rid of older, weaker ones,
the brain becomes far more able to
adapt to changing environments
and circumstances. Brains that are
flush with healthy, active neurons
and synapses are far more adept at
keeping cognitive decline at bay.
“A routine of regular exercise
exerts a transformative influence
on cognitive function,” explains
Professor Pereira, “encompassing
memory prowess, attentional
acumen, executive aptitude and
the overall expanse of cognitive
performance. Beneath the surface
of this effect lies a nuanced interplay
of physiological processes and
neurobiological dynamics.”
Barbara Sahakian, professor
of clinical neuropsychology at the
University of Cambridge, is keen
to showcase the fact that the link
between exercise and cognition is
by no means isolated to humans.
BRAIN BOOSTERS
Five of the best exercises to improve
cognitive function
A study published in the Journal of
Epidemiology & Community Health has
declared the following activities to be the
most effective in boosting brain function
and enhancing memory…
1. HIIT
2. Running
3. Swimming
4. Cycling up hills
5. Dancing
The researchers concluded that short
bursts of moderate and vigorous exercise,
even if done for less than ten minutes,
are associated with significantly higher
cognition scores compared to prolonged
sitting or more gentle activities. These
workouts were found to improve working
memory and have the greatest impact
on executive processes, such as planning
and organisation.
“In animals, exercise has been
shown to increase neurogenesis,
new brain cells, especially in the
hippocampus, which is important
for memory,” she says. Tests
involving ageing mice, dogs, rats
and monkeys have found, almost
without fail, that regular exercise
has a positive impact on cognitive
function, decision-making and
problem-solving.
It’s also important, according
to Dr Amir-Homayoun Javadi,
a senior lecturer in cognitive
neuroscience at the University
of Kent, to recognise that the
psychological effects of exercise
can be remarkable, especially
in the elderly:
“The psychological effects of
exercise mainly stem from the fact
that exercise is generally
challenging. These effects include

36 DECEMBER 2023

the distraction hypothesis (exercise
serves as a mental break, requiring
concentration), self-efficacy
(achieving something difficult
and building confidence), social
interaction (increasing social
interactions when exercising in
a group or as part of a team), and
improved sleep (exertion leads
to fatigue, which can enhance
sleep quality).”
Dr Javadi highlights that
remaining “mentally engaged” as
we age is incredibly important. He
points out that growing older
makes it much easier to stay
sedentary and refrain from
committing to activities that are
outside of the comfort zone.
“Perhaps the most crucial
challenge,” he says, “is in forming
the habit and overcoming the
mental hurdle of compelling
“
Brains that are flush
with healthy, active
neurons and synapses
are far more adept
at keeping cognitive
decline at bay
yourself to engage in something
challenging.”
Social support
Closely linked with that is the value
of relationships with friends and
family. Professor Sahakian and
Professor Jianfeng Feng from Fudan
University in Shanghai published
a study in the journal Neurology
showing social isolation increases
the risk of dementia by 26% in older
adults. The study found that 1.55% of
individuals considered to be socially
isolated developed dementia,
compared to just 1.03% of those
who were not socially isolated.
“People who reported high levels
of social isolation were more likely
to show significant differences in
brain volume,” Professor Sahakian
says, “in regions that we know as
being associated with cognition
BRAIN AND BRAWN IN FOCUS
problems and risk of dementia. This
is concerning and suggests social
isolation may be an early indicator
of an increased risk of dementia.”
It’s worth recognising that
cognitive gains are liable to be even
more pronounced if an individual’s
overall lifestyle is wholesome.
Improved brain function and
sustained cognitive ability is
dependent on many elements
and is affected by various factors,
which range from a healthy diet to
stimulating the brain with activities
such as crosswords and Sudoku.
“Reading, singing, visiting an
exhibition, attending a concert,
dancing and, yes, exercise, can all
provide benefits,” says Prof Pereira.
It’s a point supported by Prof
Sahakian: “Lifestyle factors are
extremely important for reducing
the risk of cognitive decline.
Exercise is a very important one.
Learning new things, such as
a foreign language, or attending
a structured course on a topic that
has always interested you, also
help.” She says such activities drive
the neural circuits in your brain,
keeping them active and allowing
them to function more efficiently.
And, when it comes to exercise,
Sahakian notes that a balanced
diet and retaining an optimal BMI
are almost as important as the
physical activity itself.
“Being obese can lead to
increased cognitive decline with
ageing and diseases associated
with a higher risk of dementia,
including type 2 diabetes and
stroke,” Professor Sahakian says.
“Avoid smoking and excessive
alcohol use, as both negatively
affect your brain and cognition.
Choose exercise you enjoy, because
that way you will want to exercise
on a regular basis. And, if possible,
include a social component to your
exercise, as that will make it more
fun and will keep you motivated.”
Pushing back against dementia
According to the World Health
Organization, more than 55 million
people around the world currently
DECEMBER 2023 37
IN FOCUS BRAIN AND BRAWN
have some form of dementia. In
the UK, it’s estimated that around
900,000 people suffer with this
debilitating neurocognitive disorder,
and Alzheimer’s Society suggests
the figure is likely to ‘rise sharply’
in the coming years.
Research has, however,
found that even those with such
detrimental cognitive impairments
can see tangible benefits through
exercise. A 2020 study published
in the Journal of Physiotherapy
by researchers at the Hong Kong
Polytechnic University concluded
that physical exercise can
attenuate cognitive decline and
reduce behavioural problems in
people with ‘mild cognitive
impairment (MCI)’ and dementia.
Additionally, a 2015 study, carried
out by researchers at the University
of British Columbia, found that
aerobic training ‘significantly
increased hippocampal volume’ in
older women with probable mild
38 DECEMBER 2023
“
The brain’s capacity
for transformation
is nothing short of
awe-inspiring
MCI. The hippocampus is the
part of the brain that stores and
retrieves memories.
Following both of these
studies, the researchers noted that
exercise’s benefits to cognitive
function can be primarily attributed
to its effects on working memory,
with regular aerobic exercise,
in particular, often leading to
a ‘pronounced effect’ on cognition.
In fact, the studies found that
benefits could be seen even in
individuals who rarely exercised
in their younger years.
“I’d venture to suggest that
even more profound advantages
Photography: Shutterstock
might await those who haven’t
been previously inclined towards
physical activity,” says Professor
Pereira. “For such individuals,
engaging in exercise could take
them far from their comfort
zone and push their boundaries.
Within these scenarios lies the
extraordinary potential to activate
regions of the brain that usually
lie dormant.
“The brain’s capacity for
transformation is nothing short of
awe-inspiring; it dances to the tune
of adaptation, reorganisation and
rewiring in response to life’s myriad
encounters, learning endeavours
and shifts in surroundings. Embracing
these pursuits holds the key to
nurturing the brain’s remarkable
ability to sculpt its form, reshape
its function and weave new
connections – all woven into the
fabric of navigating change,
mastering novel information and
cultivating fresh skills.”
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IN FOCUS JONNY DAVIES
MF meets ultrarunner Jonny Davies, the man who ran the entire
length of London’s Underground rail network in just 11 days
T
his September, ultrarunner
and lululemon ambassador
Jonny Davies set himself
the audacious task of running
the entire length of the London
Underground network – at street
level, visiting all 272 stations on
all 11 of the lines. But to make his
challenge even trickier, he aimed
to complete it within 11 days
straight: one line every day.
Anyone familiar with the Tube
will know that the Waterloo & City
line is by far the easiest route to
follow, at just 2.5km long, with only
two stations. The big one, which
Davies ran on the final day, was the
Central Line: 92km long, 49 stations.
The 31-year-old set himself
strict parameters. Accompanied
by a navigator, a physio and
a videographer – mainly shadowing
him on bicycles – he ran on
London’s streets, from station
40 DECEMBER 2023
to station, along the route of all
the Underground lines, including
any spurs off the main line.
Fortunately, he avoided the DLR,
the Overground and the new
Elizabeth Line, as they are classed
separately to the Underground.
Although he tried as much as
possible to run directly from
station to station, certain obstacles
made that impossible, which
meant by the end he had covered
170km longer than the actual
length of the entire Tube network.
Change of scenery
Davies says he had grown bored
of running in London’s parks and
longed to see the entirety of the
capital, from the city centre all the
way out to the suburbs. Inevitably,
with so many busy streets to
negotiate, it wasn’t easy to establish
a running rhythm. Traffic,
 JONNY DAVIES IN FOCUS

DECEMBER 2023 41
IN FOCUS JONNY DAVIES
back from a 30km
“
He would often come
training run straight
into the gym to carry
out leg work under
fatigue
pedestrians and street crossings
made each of his daily runs very
stop-and-start.
“But I really enjoy running
on roads,” he tells Men’s Fitness.
“And having a rugby background,
I enjoy sidestepping things as I run;
having constant stimuli. There’s
an element of risk involved.”
Davies is not built like your
average ultrarunner. Standing at
6ft 4in and weighing 102kg, he
says he often preferred running on
the roads than on the pavements.
“I’ve got the braking distance
of a steam train, so I’m conscious
that I don’t want to run into
someone on the pavement,” he
42 DECEMBER 2023
says. “I don’t mind running on the road and
nipping in and out of cars.”
Often, he ran in cycle lanes, with his support
team pedalling behind, which understandably
made him few friends with London’s cyclists. One
area where he inadvertently transgressed the law
was on the approach to Heathrow Airport, when
following the Piccadilly line. The route took him
through a road tunnel beneath the airport.
“You’re not supposed to run through that
tunnel, which I learned when security guards told
me as I reached the other side,” Davies recalls.
“It’s a long tunnel, and dangerous. Looking
back, that was the dumbest thing we did.”
Working on weaknesses
Already an accomplished ultrarunner, Davies
spent four months training for this challenge,

Number of Underground lines:
Waterloo & City Line (3km)
completing at least 100km a week,
including several ultramarathons:
a 50-mile race in the US along with
a handful of 50km races in Surrey.
As his training schedule ramped
up, he would often come back from
a 30km training run straight into
the gym to carry out leg work
under fatigue.
Many of the gym exercises
were designed to find areas of
potential weakness that risked
flaring up during the challenge.
“Hamstrings, hips, knees,
ankles – anything that might
fail first,” he explains. “So we
reinforced those areas, building
up the muscles, ligaments and
Biceps win races JONNY DAVIES IN FOCUS
tendons, working particularly
on stability.”
Every four weeks during
training, he would test himself by
alternating 30km one day, 12km
the next, for a whole week. “This
mimicked what I’d have to do in
the challenge,” he says.
It was 7 September when he
finally started, running the 70km
of the Northern line on the first
day. Completing one line every
day thereafter, he next ticked off
Circle, District, Victoria, Piccadilly,
Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan,
Bakerloo, Jubilee, Waterloo & City
and Central, finishing the challenge
STANDOUT on 17 September. The Waterloo
STATS & City was over in minutes; other
days took as long as 16 hours.
The geographical spread of the
Davies’ height: network meant that, on most days,
6ft 4in he’d find himself setting off in the
suburbs at dawn, crossing the centre
Weight: of London and ending up in the
102kg suburbs the opposite side of town.
A particular high point, he says, was
the Metropolitan Line, which starts
11 in Aldgate, in the East End, heading
through the city and north-western
Number of Tube stations: suburbs before stretching out into
272 the countryside of Hertfordshire
and Buckinghamshire.
Shortest daily run: “Eighty kilometres long, and
towards the end really rural and
very hilly,” he remembers.
Longest daily run:
Central Line (92km) Special support
The encouragement he received
Total distance:
from other runners who joined
572km him on certain sections was an
Average moving pace: enormous psychological boost.
Thanks to his live GPS tracker,
6mins 45secs mins/km
a total of 800 supporters tagged
Daily start time: along for various distances. On
busier days, he would have up to
4.30am to 7am
40 following him through the city
Average kcals burned: centre. Elsewhere, randomly along
6,000 to 12,000 per day the route, runners might join
briefly. For his shortest run, along
Average fluid intake: the Waterloo & City Line, he had
15 litres per day 300 in loyal pursuit.
“I wanted as many people
Average sleep per night: to join me as possible,” he says.
3 to 4 hours “Rather than me going for some
sort of record, the whole idea was
DECEMBER 2023 43
IN FOCUS JONNY DAVIES

to get people involved in running.
So many people came out to join
in, and that was the ultimate
success of the event.”
One aspect of ultrarunning that
Davies particularly likes is how it
allows you to consume loads of
calories with impunity.
“I’m pretty good at the eating
side of things,” he says. “I didn’t
get this big by accident. What
I love about ultrarunning is that it’s
a glorified eating competition. You
have to keep fuelling yourself up.”
Not all sunshine and rainbows
But there were downsides, too. The
pollution of England’s capital city
was horrendous, especially in the
centre on those unseasonably hot
days in September.
“The fumes were really bad,” he
points out. “Some days, I had a bit
of trouble breathing. I found it hard
to take deep breaths. The hot air,
combined with busy main roads,
adds extra layers of difficulty to the
challenge. Coming into Morden
station, at the end of the Northern
Line, I was coughing my lungs up,
and there was blackness around
my nose. I remember thinking, If I have 11 days line. “The support, the love from
of this, it’s going to be tough.” you guys is everything. Who
On his Strava app, Davies made use of wants a beer?!”
a function that determines the air quality of Davies says the greatest lesson
a running route. Typically, for London’s larger he learned is that “we are all far more
parks, it’s as high as 85%,
but along the central
Post-run celebrations
sections of the Northern at Oxford Circus
Line he remembers it being
as low as seven.
Broken glass was
a problem, too. City streets
are strewn with the stuff,
and Davies often found
himself pulling shards from
the soles of his shoes.
Luckily, none penetrated
through to his feet.
In mid-September he
completed the longest
Tube line of all, the Central,
adapting the route so as to
finish at Oxford Circus, right in the centre capable than we give ourselves
of London, in the late afternoon. There were credit for. I never would have
scores of runners following him to the end, thought I could do something like
plus hundreds of supporters cheering him that. It turns out you can do some
on. For several minutes, he even managed pretty amazing things if you have
inadvertently to blockade Oxford Circus during the right coaches, the right training
the evening rush hour. plan and you give it the respect it
“The most insane thing I’ve ever done,” deserves. Your biggest limiters are
he said emotionally, after crossing the finish in your own mind.”

KIT CHECK
Jonny Davies’ go-to running gear

Words: Dominic Bliss | Photography: Shutterstock

Various
running shoes
Lululemon Pace Lululemon Metal Davies used six pairs
Breaker Short 7inch Vent Tech Wide of shoes during his
£58, lululemon.co.uk Lululemon Metal Headband run, alternating
Constructed from Vent Tech Short £15, lululemon.co.uk between Nike,
ultra-lightweight fabric, Sleeve Shirt Lululemon Fast and Shaped for Salomon and On.
these shorts feature £68, lululemon.co.uk Free Singlet Breathe performance and “I rotated my shoes
a soft mesh liner with Minimal seams £34, lululemon.co.uk designed to keep every four hours,” he
a supportive pouch, reduce chafing, With bonded seams sweat off your face says, “because they
draw-cord strings and while added elastane that help prevent and out your eyes. start to ache in certain
two low-bounce liner allows for more chafing, this singlet is “Because who areas. By changing
pockets. A roomy fit stretching. The shirt treated with No-Stink doesn’t want to look shoes, you can give
around the hips, glutes features Silverescent Zinc technology, to like Rocky Balboa yourself a heel lift and
and thighs allows for technology, which limit odour-causing while they run?” change pressure
freedom of movement. limits bad smells. bacteria. adds Davies. points on the foot.”

44 DECEMBER 2023
 JONNY DAVIES IN FOCUS

“
The most
insane
thing I've
ever done

DECEMBER 2023 45
IN FOCUS MOUNTAIN RESCUE

46 DECEMBER 2023
 MOUNTAIN RESCUE IN FOCUS

Friends
IN HIGH
PLACES
Dominic Bliss spends a day with Lochaber Mountain
Rescue, whose volunteers are always on call to carry out
life-saving work on and around Britain’s highest peak

I
t looks like he’s broken his femur. A mountain biker has
suffered a serious crash on one of Ben Nevis’ downhill
trails and the mountain rescue team aren’t taking any
chances. They immediately call for a helicopter to medivac
him directly to hospital in Glasgow. Before long, he’s flying
south in a stretcher.
It’s a sunny Saturday in mid-September and the uplands
around Britain’s highest mountain are awash with hikers,
bikers, runners and climbers. Keeping an eye out for all of
them are the volunteers from Lochaber Mountain Rescue
Team. Keen to show the public what an invaluable service
they provide, they’ve invited me to shadow them for the day.
And what an experience it proves to be.
Early in the morning – fully kitted out with waterproofs,
helmets, harnesses and ropes – we head out in a 4x4 from
the team base, on the outskirts of Fort William, up to a car
park on the north side of Ben Nevis. The peak of this famous
mountain looms high above us, at 1,345 metres above sea
level. We won’t be taking the easy mountain path (or the
‘tourist route’, as it’s known) to the top, though. Instead,
we plan to scramble up the north face: a route known as the
Tower Ridge.

Hard yards
It starts with a fast hike up a steep, rocky path to the Charles
Inglis Clark (CIC) hut, along the course of the Allt a’ Mhuilinn
river. From here, the terrain rapidly becomes trickier, as we
clamber over huge boulders and clatter up loose scree into
Observatory Gulley. But the most testing section of all is
Tower Ridge, a steep scramble that eventually leads to the
summit, with many sections graded ‘Difficult’. Features along
Photography: Shutterstock

the way include the Great Chimney, the Little Tower, the
Great Tower and – most dramatic of all – the narrow crest
leading to the Tower Gap. It’s at this point, with long sheer
drops on both sides, that I feel most exposed.
My guide, and the man I’m roped up to, is Iain Murray,
leader of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team. He heads up

DECEMBER 2023 47
IN FOCUS MOUNTAIN RESCUE

a group of 50 or so volunteers
Mountain rescues take
strength, speed and skill – all unpaid locals and most with
full-time day jobs – who sacrifice
much of their free time rescuing
hapless outdoor enthusiasts in the
mountains and countryside around
Fort William. Together, they cover
a vast area of the western Scottish
Highlands, known as the Outdoor
Capital of the UK. It covers the
Knoydart peninsula and Fort
Augustus in the north; down to
The team had been called out 130 times
Loch Linnhe and the Sound of
in 2023, at time of writing Mull in the south; and to Creag
Meagaidh in the east; as well as the
isles of Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna
Lochaber Mountain
Rescue operate across in the west. Benefitting from their
some of the most expertise are climbers, hill walkers,
inhospitable terrain
the UK has to offer runners, mountain bikers, skiers
and canoeists. Murray has all of
his volunteers’ phone numbers on
speed dial, so he can call them up
the second the emergency services
alert him of a potential rescue. Day
or night, come rain, shine, fog or
snow, they must be ready to head
into the hills, loaded up with
climbing equipment, first aid and
stretchers. Statistically, theirs is the
busiest mountain rescue team in
the whole of the UK.
By the time of my visit, in
mid-September, Murray and his
colleagues have already been
called out more than 130 times
in 2023. The majority of incidents
are fairly low-key – hill walkers
who have twisted an ankle, for
example, or succumbed to fatigue
on the Ben Nevis mountain path.
But occasionally situations are
more serious. Hypothermia, broken
bones and cardiac arrest are
regular culprits.

Deceptive dangers
Even experienced climbers often
underestimate the perils of Ben
Nevis’ slopes, especially when
the weather turns for the worst,
as it often does in this part of
Scotland. ‘Cragfast’ is a term
mountain rescuers commonly
use, in reference to climbers who
end up stranded on the side of
the mountain. Murray and his
colleagues tell me about one such

BEN NEVIS
BY NUMBERS
At 1,345m above sea level,
Ben Nevis is the highest
mountain in Britain.
Most people take between
7 and 9 hours to hike to
the summit, along the safest
route, and back down again.
In 1771 a botanist from
Edinburgh became the first
recorded person to climb
Ben Nevis.
In 1883 an observatory was
built at the summit, from
which groundbreaking work
was carried out around
mountain climates and
weather. Although it went
out of use in the early 1900s,
the ruins of the observatory
are still there.
Millions of years ago, Ben
Nevis was an active volcano.
situation, two summers before,
when a group of seven climbers
– all without helmets or harnesses
– had found themselves stuck
on the steep scree on the north
side of Nevis.
One of Murray’s more
accomplished climbers, Joe
French, remembers the incident
clearly. “They were really high
up,” he says, pointing across
Observatory Gulley to the position
the stranded climbers had been in.
“They couldn’t climb further up and
they couldn’t go down. We tried to
come in from the summit to rescue
them, but there was danger of
knocking rocks onto their heads.”
In the end, the team of eight
rescuers had to mount a lengthy
and very complicated traverse
across the entire gulley, guiding all
seven climbers to safety on ropes.
“It was getting dark and they didn’t
have headtorches,” French recalls.
“It was all very wet, slippery and
Photography: Brodie Hood
nasty – a lot of snow, even in July.
We had to do some very creative
rope work.”
The operation lasted all night
and the team finished, exhausted,
at 6am the following day.
The following summer, in
2022, the team rescued cragfast
climbers yet again. This time it
was two young men on Carn Mor
Dearg, another high peak close
to Ben Nevis.
“They had actually stopped
climbing to take a Zoom call,
because one of them had a meeting,”
French says incredulously. By the
time the call ended, the climbers
found themselves battered by
seriously bad weather, with
visibility dropping fast. Unable
to see, they strayed off the main
route. To reach them, rescuers had
to lower a 200-metre-long rope
and swing across to their position.
Murray and his colleagues have
access to an incredible amount of
MOUNTAIN RESCUE IN FOCUS
“
Day or night,
come rain, shine,
fog or snow, they
must be ready to
head into the hills
equipment and some serious
machinery, especially when it
comes to winter rescues. Back at
their team base, they store 4x4
trucks; all-terrain vehicles with
caterpillar tracks; ropes; stretchers;
climbing gear; dry suits; life jackets;
shovels; avalanche probes; radios;
GPS; helmets; harnesses; and an
Aladdin’s cave of medical devices
and medicines.
French says that hikers and
climbers on Ben Nevis often
underestimate the difficulty of the
terrain, or head out with incorrect
clothing or equipment.
“It’s a really complex, dangerous
mountain,” he warns. “But people
assume it’s easy because it’s in
Britain, it’s not that high and there’s
a relatively straightforward walk
up the mountain track.”
The reality, though, can be
very different.
“The weather comes in and
suddenly you can’t see anything,”
DECEMBER 2023 49
IN FOCUS MOUNTAIN RESCUE

French adds. “Then it’s very easy

for people to get lost and fall down STAY SAFE
a gulley.” Lochaber Mountain
Rescue Team are not
Serious incidents responsible for
mountain safety,
Virtually all the Lochaber team’s
but they do offer
rescue operations result in happy the following basic
endings. But not always. With so advice to outdoors
many people enjoying this part of enthusiasts…
the Highlands – it’s estimated that
just the summit of Ben Nevis
receives up to 150,000 visitors in Always carry a map
a good year – there are occasional and compass, and
deaths. Since people first started learn to use them.
climbing the mountain, in the Do not rely on GPS
mid-19th century, over 100 fatalities alone, as reception
can be sketchy.
have been recorded on Ben Nevis
alone. The latest was in August
2023, when a 66-year-old from To improve your skills,
Worcestershire fell 130ft from the consider employing
exposed ridge linking Carn Mor a guide or joining up
Dearg to Ben Nevis. The rescue with a local hiking or
team scrambled to the scene, mountaineering club.
aided by a helicopter, but were
unable to save him. Check weather and
Murray is reluctant to talk about avalanche forecasts
the rare occasions when he and his before heading
team have to bring dead bodies off out and always be
the mountain. “I don’t keep count prepared to change
your plans accordingly.
and I’m never going to keep count,”
he says, when asked how many
times he has had to deal with such Avalanche risk
tragedies. “I’m not going to go into awareness, avoidance
gruesome detail. We all have our and rescue techniques
ways of dealing with these things.” are essential skills
French says serious accidents for all winter walkers
and climbers.
are always tough: “Just because
you see lots of full-on trauma, it
doesn’t get any easier to witness it. Always notify
Sometimes you think you’re going someone of your
on a very straightforward rescue, intended route and
but it can quickly escalate and expected return time.
suddenly you’re dealing with death.”
As leader of the rescue team,
In an emergency,
Murray says his priority is always decide if your situation
“to make sure everybody comes can be dealt with by
off the hill in one piece”. Often your own group. It can
most challenging of all are winter take several hours for
rescues, when avalanche risks are a rescue team to reach
high. He explains how his team you, so the best plan
may be to continue
might be operating beneath huge
Photography: Shutterstock

descending, if safe
slabs of precarious snow. “If an to do so.
avalanche happens, you could be
in the firing line,” he adds.
For the more critical rescues, If you do require
helicopters are deployed – normally assistance, dial 999
AgustaWestland AW189s from His and ask for police,
then mountain rescue.

50 DECEMBER 2023
 MOUNTAIN RESCUE IN FOCUS

“
Just because you
see lots of full-on
trauma, it doesn’t
get any easier to
witness it

DECEMBER 2023 51
 IN FOCUS MOUNTAIN RESCUE

Majesty’s Coastguard. But often, Helicopters are

foul weather and poor visibility deployed for
precludes their use, forcing Murray critical rescues
and his band of volunteers to mount
rescues on foot. For that reason,
they must all be mountain fit.

Crucial conditioning
The mountain path up Ben Nevis,
where most of the call-outs occur,
is eight miles up and back. Murray
says his team members must be fit
enough to hike up it in less than
three hours, carrying a heavy bag
of equipment, and strong enough
to make the return trip down while
helping carry someone on a stretcher.
Ideally, there would be a minimum
of eight rescuers to one stretcher,
but in emergency situations it
might be fewer. “The path is rough,
slippery and it’s often the middle
of the night,” he stresses. “You get
fatigued really quickly.”
Fortunately, all members of the
rescue team are regularly out in the
mountains, ensuring they have
excellent base fitness. There is also
a gym at the team base, allowing
them to top up in certain areas.
But there are other skills just as
important. As stated on the website,
‘All our team members undergo
training to ensure they reach a high
level of proficiency in general
mountaineering, rescue and first
aid skills. Our team also contains
specialists in various fields,
including rope work, medical care,
Getting set to
hit the summit
climbing and logistics.’ Murray
adds he’s always looking to recruit
new members, but that it’s
essential they are willing to work
as part of a team.
On the face of it, it’s surprising
Murray has so many volunteers
at his disposal. After all, they’re
unpaid and often required to be in
the mountains all night, possibly in
foul weather. So why do they offer
their services so willingly?
French, originally from Sheffield
but who relocated to the Highlands
15 years ago, says volunteering
feels like “a great way of giving
something back to the community.”
He adds, “I’ve always been a climber.
I grew up climbing in the Peak
District. I wanted to get involved.
You hear all these stories of the
amazing things mountain rescue
does and then you find yourself in
amongst them, learning from them.”
Back on Ben Nevis, we
eventually reach the top of the
Tower Ridge scramble. Up on
the summit of Britain’s tallest
mountain, there must be at least
250 hikers and climbers milling
about. A snaking queue of several
dozen is waiting to pose for
photographs next to the cairn
marking the highest point.
Suddenly a helicopter appears,
with a cable suspended from its
undercarriage. Swinging on the
end is a huge drum, with a long
climbing rope wrapped around it.
Murray explains how they will use
this during winter rescues, when
snow and ice make it harder to
reach cragfast climbers.
Once the rope is detached and
stored safely in the summit shelter,
the helicopter pilot tells Murray he
has two spare seats available. My
luck is in: instead of hiking down the
mountain path, I bag myself a free
helicopter ride. Within minutes,
we’re at the base of the mountain.
“Back for tea and medals,” Murray
says, as we head to the base.
Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team is a registered
charity, which relies on donations to meet running
and equipment costs. To make a donation, head to
justgiving.com/lmrt/Donate
Dominic Bliss was a guest of The Outdoor Capital of
the UK (outdoorcapital.co.uk) and Glencoe Youth
Hostel (hostellingscotland.org.uk)

52 DECEMBER 2023
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IN FOCUS HATS ON FOR MIND
TAKE IT
Mind and Go Outdoors have teamed up to encourage
more people to spend time in nature
I
didn’t really know much about
mental health issues,” says
TV presenter Sean Fletcher.
“Then my son got ill with obsessive
compulsive disorder. He missed
a year of school and it really affected
our family. What I’ve come to learn
is that mental illness can be just as
debilitating as a physical problem.”
It was at this time that Fletcher
began running outdoors.
“Running felt like a real outlet,”
he says. “So I carried on and ended
up doing four London marathons.”
At the same time, Fletcher’s work on
BBC’s Countryfile and ITV Wales’
Coast to Country gave him a growing
appreciation of how the outdoors
could ease mental health struggles.
While filming in Wales’ Gower
peninsula, Fletcher met a retired
police officer who had become
a seal warden:
“He talked about how it had
totally transformed his mental
health. In the police, he was dealing
with all the bad news stories, and it
was a hard time. Now he’s outdoors,
looking after seals – he puts loads
in but he gets so much more back
for his mental health.”
Fletcher’s experiences – along
with former Arsenal and England
goalkeeper David Seaman and
fellow TV presenter Gethin Jones
– encouraged him to become an
ambassador for Hats On For Mind,
a campaign running at Go Outdoors,
Blacks, Millets and Fishing Republic.
54 DECEMBER 2023
All profits from the sale of branded
hats and flasks will go to support
mental health charity Mind’s vital
work encouraging people to spend
some time outdoors in a bid to
boost their mental wellbeing.
Breathe it all in
A 2019 Frontiers In Psychology
study found that spending just
ten minutes in urban nature
environments, such as parks, three
times a week, can reduce levels
of the stress hormone cortisol by
21.3%. Meanwhile, a 2020 paper
for the NHS found that exposure
to watery blue spaces or tree-lined
green spaces can lower blood
pressure and improve mental
health outcomes.
In Shetland, GPs started
prescribing time in nature, with
leaflets offering advice on activities
such as walking and birdwatching,
depending on the seasons.
“Spending time in nature
improves our cognitive capacities:
our memory and concentration
levels improve, our stress response
lowers and our overall sense of
wellbeing gets a boost, too,” says
therapist Clair Morrow.
For Mind volunteer Paul Harris,
the outdoors helped save him
following a period of panic attacks,
alongside a diagnosis of anxiety
and depression, which forced him
to leave his job as a property
manager in London. Living in
HATS ON FOR MIND IN FOCUS

DECEMBER 2023 55
IN FOCUS HATS ON FOR MIND

56 DECEMBER 2023
 HATS ON FOR MIND IN FOCUS

Chiswick, in the west of the

city, he was able to explore the
surroundings of Chiswick House,
initially with the support of his
wife, Kim.
“Kim took me out a couple
“
This campaign
is simply about
going for a walk
of times, with varying degrees of
success,” he says. “I remember in your local park
once I had a panic attack and had
to lie down on a bench. But the
more and more I went, the more
I realised how important it was.
There were little parts where you
could go and hide away and not
be around lots of people. I used
to love getting there, standing
still and breathing it all in.”
The key for Harris is that this
campaign isn’t extreme, but rather
about the simple pleasures of
a short time spent surrounded
by nature.
“You see a lot of campaigns
with people hanging off cliffs or Parks, focusing on helping those me helps me to calm down and
mountain biking down steep slopes from black, Asian and ethnic clear my head.”
or skiing, and I just don’t think a lot minority groups into the UK’s
of it is relatable to most people,” most beautiful places. Biodiversity matters
he says. This campaign is simply “Through that,” he says, Khan’s feelings are backed
about going for a walk in your local “I realised that green spaces by science. A 2019 paper by
park or just spending time at your were helping me with my mental Australian researchers found that
nearest patch of countryside. health and wellbeing. I started people living in urban areas with
going on a regular basis and I was tree cover of 30% or more saw
Tree therapy encouraging more and more their levels of psychological
Hameed Khan, another Mind people to access the countryside, distress lower by a third. That
campaigner, has worked tirelessly organising trips. Since then, included lessening feelings of
to promote going outdoors for whenever I feel down or low, or nervousness, stress and fatigue.
better mental health. While when my head is running or racing Trees, in particular, appear to have
suffering from anxiety and and I’m feeling anxious, I find that specific benefits, with research in
depression, he began working on going to a local park, being among the journal Bioscience revealing
a campaign to promote National trees and having nature around that the biodiversity found within

JOIN THE CLUB

Three groups to help you get out the front door and into nature

PARKRUN RAMBLERS MENTAL HEALTH SWIMS

parkrun.org.uk
Free for all and found in 812 locations,
parkrun is the ultimate in outdoor
exercise and camaraderie. Setting off
every Saturday morning for a 5k run,
it’s ideal for runners who want a boost
for their mental and physical wellbeing.
ramblers.org.uk
With more than 500 walking
groups across Britain,
Ramblers offers a great way
to try out walking in a safe
and friendly environment.
mentalhealthswims.co.uk
With a focus on ‘dips not distance’,
Mental Health Swims run regular
jaunts in over 150 locations, espousing
the benefits of swimming outside.
Colder water is proven to ease
symptoms of anxiety and depression.

DECEMBER 2023 57
IN FOCUS HATS ON FOR MIND

players were offered by their

teammates showed camaraderie
WALK AND TALK and spirit, even if they didn’t have
Try outdoor counselling, says therapist Clair Morrow
the language to understand what
(clairmorrowcounselling.com)
these conditions were and that
“If you feel you would benefit from one-to-one support, you could they were treatable.
see if any therapists in your area offer outdoor counselling services, Seaman says he hopes that
such as walk-and-talk therapy. Nature, of course, can’t solve all our
by campaigning for Mind and Go
problems – it can’t pay our bills, bring back a loved one, or serve as
a quick cure to chronic mental health problems – but it can support Outdoors, he can help start more
us through these challenges, steadying us as we go and asking little conversations, and ultimately bring
of us in return.” more people outdoors to discover
a new way of easing their problems.
“Anyone can do it,” agrees
them, including birds, can reduce Arsenal and England in the 1990s presenter Gethin Jones. “You’re Words: Joe Minihane | Photography: Mind x Go Outdoors
anxiety and depression. and 2000s. volunteering yourself as a friend.
“When you’re outdoors, you’re Just say, ‘Let’s go for a walk.’ It
Open spaces for honest getting away from your day-to-day does make a difference, because
conversations life,” he says. “It’s taking your mind it says to that person that you are
“The fact is, this Mind campaign is away from it.” there, with no distractions. That’s
making it normal for men to talk Seaman has seen the real-life my simple message. It’s just an
about how they feel,” says former effects of mental illness in the hour of your week.”
footballer David Seaman. For him, dressing room. His former
it’s time spent fishing that has been teammates Paul Merson and Tony Hats On For Mind showcases hats
a salve whenever stress gets too Adams revealed their struggles designed by Sean Fletcher, David
much. He started when playing for with addiction publicly – something Seaman and Gethin Jones; available
to purchase online and in-store
Birmingham City in the mid-1980s which, at the time, wasn’t seen as at partner retailers, including GO
and continued throughout his being related to mental ill-health. Outdoors, Blacks, Millets and
hugely successful career with He says that the support those Fishing Republic. All profits from
the campaign will go to Mind.

58 DECEMBER 2023
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PROMOTION
R.A.I.S.E.
A new campaign from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) aims
to give a better understanding of male depression and highlight the benefits of therapy
T
o address ever-growing
concerns around men’s mental
health, the British Association
for Counselling and Psychotherapy has
launched an innovative campaign
called R.A.I.S.E. as part of Men’s Health
Awareness Month.
R.A.I.S.E. is designed to help men,
and their loved ones, recognise often
subtle signs of depression. It also aims
to promote the benefits of seeking
professional support from a therapist.
Rise in depression in men
Recent data from a BACP survey of
over 3,000 therapists has revealed that
52% of practitioners witnessed a surge
in men seeking help for depression over
the past year. Yet, the survey also
highlighted a concerning statistic: 56%
of therapists agreed that men are less
likely to seek mental health support
than women. A reluctance to seek help
may be down to stigma and old-
fashioned bravado among those of us
who don’t want to admit to needing
support when it comes to mental
health issues.
“Depression in men often gets
overlooked, as men tend to live with
their struggles silently,” says Anthony
Davis, a BACP therapist and contributor
to the R.A.I.S.E. campaign. “Their
symptoms can also manifest in
different ways than their loved ones
would expect, meaning they can
sometimes go unnoticed or
unaddressed.”
For Dan Reid, a 37-year-old youth
worker from Shropshire, a battle
against anxiety and depression stems
from his university days. But after the
birth of his daughter in 2016, his mental
60 DECEMBER 2023
men up
health issues worsened, leading to a
work breakdown and two months’
leave. Therapy from a BACP-registered
professional, however, transformed his
life, enabling emotional control and
self-worth.
“It can be hard to have an open and
honest conversation with someone who
is emotionally invested, like a family
member or partner,” says Dan. “That’s
why I think therapy works and why it
worked so well for me. A lot of men are
scared to go to therapy and open up,
but taking that step can change a life.”
Dan now runs the Men Walking and
Talking group, promoting therapy’s
benefits and providing a space for men
to share their struggles.
Spot the signs
Symptoms of depression can manifest
differently in men. Indeed, half of the
therapists in the survey noted that men
can exhibit less common signs of
depression, making it challenging to
identify their struggles.
Andy Middle, a 44-year-old military
veteran from Shrewsbury, faced
depression from his service in Bosnia at
18. Traumatic experiences affected him,
but limited support for service
members made seeking help
challenging.
Thankfully, after acting upon the
symptoms and having a confirmed
diagnosis of depression, Andy began to
work with a psychotherapist to manage
PTSD and depression. Now a chef, he
finds solace in fishing, and acting as a
leader in the Men Walking and Talking
group.
To bridge the mental health gap
and help men spot the signs of mental
ill-health, BACP has introduced the
R.A.I.S.E. apronym, which highlights
key indicators of male depression:
Risk-taking
Men often engage in riskier behaviour
when dealing with depression, seeking
an adrenaline rush to escape their
emotional turmoil.
Anger
Outbursts of anger, irritability, and
hostility can be telltale signs of
depression in men.
Isolation
Men may withdraw from social
interactions, isolating themselves
as they grapple with depression.
Substance abuse
Self-medicating through alcohol
or drug use is a common coping
mechanism among men experiencing
depression.
Exhaustion
Persistent fatigue and a lack of
energy are hallmark signs of male
depression.
To further support and empower men in
their journey to seek professional help,
BACP therapists have contributed to
an online booklet (bacp.co.uk/raise).
This resource delves into the nuances
of depression symptoms, explores how
they manifest, and offers practical tips on
managing them – including how to find a
therapist from a PSA accredited register,
such as BACP’s.
 PROMOTION

56% of therapists
agreed that men
“
are less likely to
seek mental health
support than women
Photography: Shutterstock

DECEMBER 2023 61
 SHOCKING FACT

ARE LOADED WITH

© 2023 American Pistachio Growers

In a recent study conducted by Cornell University

and published in the journal, Nutrients, the antioxidant
power of American-grown pistachios was measured
using the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC)
and Cellular Antioxidant Activity (CAA) testing protocols.
For more information, visit AmericanPistachios.co.uk
 GET FIT IN THE KITCHEN

MAGIC FORMULA
Select a vegetable base, add
a protein option and finish the
dish with some carbs

THE BASE
Mixed vegetables
– either stir-fried,
roasted or steamed.

THE PROTEIN
A fist-sized serving
of a high-protein
food. Options include:
• Chicken breast
• Tofu
• Steak
• Turkey breast
• Tuna steak
• Salmon fillet
• White fish

POWER PLATE
Follow these simple rules for
a winning dinner, every night
As a rule, try to get your workouts in before dinner time.
Working out will fire up your central nervous system – as
long as you’re training hard enough – so getting to sleep soon THE SIDES
afterwards can be difficult. Eating a proper meal after training, Add two palm-sized
on the other hand, means all the nutrients go straight to work portions of one of
Photography: Shutterstock

to repair your damaged muscles. Dinner should be high in the following:

protein, with moderate amounts of high-quality fats, plenty • Sweet potato
of mixed, fresh vegetables and carbs. • Brown rice
• Wholemeal pasta
• Quinoa
• Legumes

DECEMBER 2023 63
●FUEL ENERGY GELS
Professional run tester Kieran Alger has spent the last few months gulping down the
latest batch of high-performance energy gels for fuelling your endurance efforts
MEET THE
TESTER
Kieran is a freelance
writer and editor working
in the space where
health, fitness, sports
and technology collide. He’s also
a borderline obsessed runner, and
in 2022 he became the first known
person to run the 2,850km length
of the Danube River.
I
f you want to train and perform at
your best, you need to fuel your
sessions and races right. For
higher intensity and longer efforts,
that means getting enough
carbohydrates on board to keep your
muscles grinding. That’s where energy
gels come in.
When you need a portable energy
hit, they’re a great option. But with so
many to choose from, it can be a job
to work out what’s best for you.
What are they?
Energy gels provide a fast-acting hit
of carbohydrates in a convenient,
compact and portable package, to
help you stay fuelled and avoid hitting
the wall or suffering the dreaded
‘bonk’ during your workouts.
64 DECEMBER 2023
They’re primarily made from sugar,
usually combinations of glucose,
fructose and maltodextrin. The looser
consistency makes them easier to
consume on the move and hopefully
easier to digest than regular solid
food when you’re working at higher
intensities. Some gels also add extras,
such as electrolytes to aid hydration,
or caffeine and nootropics to help
boost energy, mood and performance.
If you prefer to get your sports
nutrition from all-natural sources,
there are some great natural energy
gel options, too. These favour real-
food, natural ingredients over cheaper
alternatives like maltodextrin.
When should you use them?
Gels can be used before or during
exercise, to supplement existing
energy stores. When full, your body’s
glycogen gas tanks hold roughly 90
minutes of energy. Provided you’re
well fuelled beforehand, for most
workouts of between 60 and 75
minutes, energy gels aren’t necessary.
However, for efforts lasting 90 minutes
or more, you need additional carbs
to maintain your effort levels and
perform at your best. There’s no right
or wrong way to time your gels. Trial
and error is critical when sussing out
what works for your energy levels and
your stomach. However, it takes time
for the body to absorb those extra
carbohydrates, so the trick is to top
up before you’ve completely emptied
your tank.
Some people swear by having a
gel right before their workout or race
and then keeping a consistent hourly
intake afterwards. But as a starting
point, shoot for your first gel at
around 60 to 75 minutes into your
training session.
How many gels should you take?
Regular gels tend to provide around
20g carbohydrates per gel, though
there’s a growing trend for energy
gels that offer as much as 40g carbs
in a single pouch. Most people can
happily absorb anywhere between
30-60g of single-source
carbohydrates each hour. However,
by using dual source carbohydrates,
some elite athletes can push that as
high as 90-120g carbs per hour. But
that generally requires a strong
stomach and some gut training.
Finding out what works for you
requires some experimentation, but
aiming to hit 60g of carbs – around
three regular gels – per hour, is a
good place to start.
 “
When you
need a quick, portable
energy hit, gels are
Photography: Shutterstock

a great option

DECEMBER 2023 65
●FUEL ENERGY GELS
Precision Fuel & Hydration PF30 Gel
£29.99 for 15 gels, precisionhydration.com
Precision Fuel & Hydration’s PF30 gels
pack a bigger-than-average 30g hit of
carbohydrates into one of the smallest
and most stashable gels going. In fact, at
51g per pouch, you won’t find many gels
that offer a better energy-to-weight ratio
and they’re brilliantly running belt friendly.
I can easily fit a marathon’s worth in
a Naked Running Band, for example.
When it comes to taste, the flavour is
deliberately neutral: so they’re sweet, but
quite nondescript. That’s a good thing for
staving off the dreaded taste fatigue that
can come when you need to eat a lot of
gels during longer endurance efforts.
However, if you’re a fan of fruity gels or
those faux-dessert flavour gels, these
might be a bit plain.
The consistency is somewhat similar
to Maurten Gel 100s (more on those
next), with a thicker texture than most
carbohydrate energy gels. It’s almost what
you’d get if Jelly Baby innards were super
loose. But it’s light, easy to swallow and
not too sticky in the mouth. It’s preferable
to slug a bit of water after a gel, but
I found I could eat these without. That’s
not true of all gels.
The carbs come in a 2:1 ratio of
glucose to fructose. This dual-fuel formula
aims to speed absorption for more
Pros
High carbs
Neutral flavour
Easy on the stomach
Cons
No flavours
Quite expensive
66 DECEMBER 2023
efficient carbohydrate uptake and less risk
of gastric upset. The energy boost is even,
without the rush-and-crash that comes
with some gels.
The compact pouch has an easy open
top that rips off easily with your teeth or
your hands. That gel consistency means
the contents don’t come gushing forth all
over your hands, either. There’s nothing
worse than sticky hands when you’ve got
four miles before the next opportunity
to wash them off. It’s worth noting that
Precision Fuel & Hydration also offers the
same gel in a 90g resealable pouch that
still fits in a running belt, but offers the
added benefit of letting you top up your
carbs in smaller, regular amounts. Great if
you’re working on that stomach strength.
There’s also a caffeine option.
Taste: H HH H H Energy: H HH HH
Portability: H HH HH OVERALL: H HH H
Pros
High carb content
Neutral flavour
Easy on the stomach
Cons
No flavour options
Maurten Gel 100
£32.95 for 12, maurten.co
Maurten hit the headlines when superhuman runner, Eliud Kipchoge, used its
carbohydrate drinks mix en route to smashing all kinds of marathon records. However,
because us regular athletes don’t get Kipchoge’s mid-race bottle service, Maurten
made a gel, too.
The Gel 100 gels use the same delivery ‘technology’ to get energy into the system
fast without tummy troubles. But while the 160 and 320 mix carbohydrate drinks turn
to gel in the stomach, the hydro gel in these compact, lightweight and easy-to-handle
packs is already formed.
The soft jelly texture is surprisingly pleasant. Like Precision Fuel & Hydration’s PF30
gel, it has a completely neutral taste, to help avoid taste overload. The packs are nicely
stashable and relatively easy to open on the move. The carb jelly slips down easily,
without leaving too much of an unpleasant residue – or aftertaste – in the mouth. So
you can take these without water, but they are better followed by a few gulps.
The energy comes from a blend of fructose and glucose (with a ratio of 0.8:1). The
result is a pretty smooth power-up that’s largely crash-free. The regular Gel 100 packs
25g carbs per 40g gel. But if you want a bigger hit of carbs in the same single-serve
sachet, Maurten Gel 160 now offers 40g carbohydrate in each larger 65g gel. That’s
not quite as portable, but then you need to carry fewer gels to hit your hourly energy
needs. The downside: once you’ve opened the 65g gel, you’ve got to get it all down.
There’s no resealable option and the packs won’t hold gel once they’re open.
I’ve used Maurten Gel 100 a lot in recent years and I’ve found the packs aren’t quite
as robust as some. On occasion, if I’ve been a bit careless about where I put them in my
bag or suitcase, I’ve found the packets can split.
Taste: H HH H H Energy: H HH HH Portability: H HH HH OVERALL: H HH H
 Vala Energy Gel
£23.65 for 10, valaenergy.com

A real-food alternative to maltodextrin- mixed in porridge for a pre-workout

based gels, Vala’s gut-friendly, all-natural
energy gels are made from just five
ingredients, including maple syrup, date
paste, Welsh salt, lemon and lime juice,
and chia seeds. A paste more than a gel,
the consistency is very different. You can
use them during higher intensity efforts,
but arguably they suit slower, longer
endurance efforts better than all-out
racing – where you can consume them
a little more leisurely.
They’re also very sweet. With some
gels you need water to wash down the
gloop and rinse your mouth, but with
Vala, it’s more to take the edge off the
sweetness. I’ve used Vala gels for
marathons, ultras, hikes and rides, and
I found them a bit overpowering when
I tried to hit that 60g carbs per hour.
For me, they’re at their best as part
of a mix of gels. The taste and texture are
a really nice gear shift and I save these for
when I want my refuelling to feel more like
a treat. Because provided you like dates,
you actually look forward to eating these.
With 24g carbs in each portable 35g
pack, you get a decent hit of even energy.
They’re as good spread on toast and
energy boost as they are gobbled neat.
How many energy gels can you say
that about?
The packs are robust and on the
smaller side. So they’re perfectly compact
and stashable, and it’s easy to fit two to
three hours’ worth in pockets or belts. The
rip-top opening can be a bit of a struggle.
I sometimes found it came off without
leaving a wide enough opening and I ended
up squeezing paste through the tiniest
hole. But if you’ve been hunting for an
alternative to fake-flavour gels, then these
are worth a try in training.
Taste: H HH H Energy: H HH H
Portability: H HH HH OVERALL: H HH H
Pros
Only simple, real-food ingredients
Steady energy boost
Nicely stowable
Cons
Very sweet
You have to like dates
More expensive

Veloforte Energy Gels

£29.99 for 15, veloforte.com

If you can’t stomach gloopy gels, Veloforte’s
all-natural ‘nectars’ offer a completely
different take on energy gels. They use
simple, natural ingredients and are designed
to be easier to swallow, fresher on the
palate and lighter on the gut. Each compact
and portable 33g pouch packs a pretty
standard 22g hit of carbs, along with added
electrolytes to support hydration. You’d
need three of these to hit that 60g carbs
per hour recommended for most people.
If you’re used to regular gels, the
almost-liquid consistency can take a bit of
getting used to. It’s more like a syrup than
a gel. It slips down more easily without
water than thicker gels, but the runny,
almost-cordial style of some flavours has
a sweetness that leaves you wanting
a drink to wash them down. The other
benefit to having a syrup rather than
a thicker gel is you can add this to water
and make a carb drink – perfect if you
want added energy in your drink bottle.
The all-natural flavours are interesting,
too, with unique combinations such as
beetroot and lemon, cherry and guarana,
and blackcurrant and elderflower. In
testing, some of these took a little getting
used to, but they’re a welcome antidote to
the chemical faux flavours of many gels.
The date, lime and ginger is a favourite:
sweet, but zingy and a little fresh. The
beetroot was a bit more challenging.
When I needed to take more than
three or four gels in a single session,
I found the Veloforte Energy Gels worked
best when used every second or third gel,
as a change of pace from other flavours.
All Veloforte’s gels have added electrolytes
to support your hydration, and there
are two caffeine options with 75mg of
slow-acting caffeine from guarana for
an extra mental energy boost.
Taste: H HH H H Energy: H HH H H
Portability: H HH HH OVERALL: H HH H H
Pros
Real-food ingredients
Compact and portable
Slips down easily
Cons
Some challenging flavours
Quite expensive

DECEMBER 2023 67
●FUEL ENERGY GELS

UnTapped Athletic Fuel

€12.90 for 5, untapped.cc

Nature’s pretty good at providing The runny consistency of maple syrup

untampered sources of high-energy fuel:
honey, dates, bananas. Then there’s
Canadian gold: maple syrup.
Naturally high in carbs that
come mostly from sucrose,
maple syrup contains complex
sugars that have a much lower
glycemic index than regular
sugar and maltodextrin. That
means they burn slower and the
energy release is more even
– good news for avoiding the
rush-and-crash blood sugar
spikes that some gels create.
Maple syrup is also naturally high
in antioxidants and amino acids.
UnTapped’s Athletic gels tap
Pros into the natural fuelling power
100% natural of maple syrup. Each uses
Steady energy release less than a handful of
Clean, simple, delicious taste natural ingredients. In the
regular Maple, that’s all it
is: maple syrup. The Salted Citrus has sea
Cons
salt and organic fruit juice. Each 40g pouch
Not as pocket-friendly
delivers a delicious 26g hit of carbs, slightly
Quite pricey in the UK
more than you’ll get in most regular gels.
means you can pour this straight in and
there’s none of the yucky, gloopy mouth
coating that you get with many gels. The
pouches have tear tops for quick, easy
opening on the move, and the long, thin
tubes also help. Though that makes them
easier to stash in waistband workout belts,
they don’t fit easily in shallower pockets.
Unsurprisingly, these are very sweet
and you might find it helps to take them
with water, though the liquid format
means that’s not essential. The lime and
lemon juice, along with the 100mg sodium
in the Salted Citrus flavour, also takes
the edge off that sweetness, as well as
supporting hydration.
Alongside Maple and Salted Citrus,
there’s Salted Cocoa and Salted Raspberry
flavours. Plus a Coffee UnTapped option
with 25mg of caffeine from real black
tea. I also really love the fact that you
can buy the flavours in 16-serve bulk
bottles – a reusable option all gel makers
should offer.
Taste: H HH H H Energy: H HH H H
Portability: H HH H H OVERALL: H HH H H

33Fuel Chia Energy Gels

£23.99 for 10, 33fuel.com

33Fuel’s chia-based gels are simple, tasty and 100% natural. In many ways, they change
what you should expect from a gel. They swap the maltodextrin-based artificial chemical
goop for real-food ingredients, fresh flavours and a textured mouthfeel that you look
forward to eating. Each gel uses just four ingredients: chia seeds, coconut palm sugar,
organic vanilla and Himalayan pink salt. It doesn’t get simpler than that.
Unlike all the other gels on this list, the ingredients in the resealable packs come
dried, so you have to add liquid to rehydrate them ten minutes before you plan to use
them. The hydrated gels are more bulky and a less stashable shape than other gels, and
the extra step is a double-edged sword. Yes, it’s extra prep, but if you’re carrying fuel
for a longer ride or run, the dehydrated gels take up less space.
In dried form, each gel delivers 11g carbs. If you use water to hydrate them, that’s
quite a lot lower than most other gels. However, you can boost the carbohydrate hit by
adding milk, fruit juices, coconut water, or whatever liquid you want. There’s added salt
to help balance your hydration, but if you’re looking for a caffeine boost, you’ll need to
Pros add your own espresso.
Only simple, real-food ingredients Unlike some rush-and-crash sugar-based gels, the energy boost is nice and even.
Taste great The puffed-up chia seeds are a pleasant change from the usual non-descript sludge
Even energy release of regular gels and these are incredibly easy on the stomach. Plus, there’s no lingering
artificial taste to get tired of.
The flip-top resealable lid also means you don’t have to down a whole gel in one.
Cons
(Though we found sometimes the chia seeds clogged the lid and you have to take care
Need pre-filling not to snap it off.)
Resealable caps can break off Taste: H HH HH Energy: H HH H Portability: H HH H OVERALL: H HH H H
Harder to stash

68 DECEMBER 2023
 “
Trial and error
is critical when
sussing out what
works for your
energy levels
Photography: Shutterstock

DECEMBER 2023 69
●FUEL ENERGY GELS

SiS Beta Fuel + Nootropics

£72 for 30, scienceinsport.com

Science in Sport’s (SiS) Beta Fuel range is
all about maximising the amount of carbs
you can get into your body every hour.
The gels follow the SiS Beta Fuel carb
drink powders by adopting a 1:0.8 ratio
of maltodextrin to fructose. This dual-fuel
blend uses two different transit systems to
help get more carbohydrate into the body.
Each 60g gel delivers 40g of
carbohydrate. That’s up there with the
highest energy gels like Maurten and
Precision Fuel & Hydration. The SiS Beta
Fuel gels also pack an added hit of
nootropics – supplements that aim to
help boost your cognitive performance,
focus and motivation.
There’s also a 250mg dose of
Cognizin Citicoline, a chemical that
supports brain function, 200mg caffeine,
1g Taurine and 200mg Theanine, an amino
acid which has been shown to increase
subjective feelings of alertness. Does it
work? It’s hard to say. I can’t say I noticed
any perceptible benefits in my tests,
even when I used them deep into six-
to seven-hour ultraruns where I needed
a mental lift. And certainly not more
than a regular caffeine gel.
When it comes to taste, I tested the
lemon and lime. While it’s OK, it’s all very
artificial. Not necessarily worse than other
artificially flavoured gels, but I can’t say
I looked forward to eating them. The
consistency is pretty standard, too, and
definitely needed water to wash it down.
The 60ml gels are bigger and harder to
stash than some regular smaller gels, but
you’re getting double the carbs per gel
and so may well need to carry less.
Taste: H HH H Energy: H HH HH
Portability: H HH HH OVERALL: H HH HH
Pros
Big hit of carbs
Fast acting
Added nootropics
Cons
Artificial taste
Not as stashable
Full of preservatives

GU Liquid Energy
£24 for 12, guenergy.co.uk

GU is probably best known for making
interesting gel flavour combinations
such as salted watermelon, campfire
smores and birthday cake. But these
Liquid Energy Gels stick to slightly more
standard tastes, including orange,
lemonade and cola. They have also got
a completely different consistency.
Each 60g gel contains 23g carbs in
a runny liquid that you can literally pour
into your mouth and eat without needing
water. Those dual-source carbs come
from a blend of Maltodextrin and fructose.
There are also caffeine options with 40mg
caffeine, alongside 450mg BCAAs to help
delay muscle fatigue.
I tested the lemon and lime, orange,
and coffee flavours. There’s no real fruit
juice in sight here – it’s all artificial
flavourings. So while they’re OK, I didn’t
really look forward to eating them. I’d put
these in the ‘necessary evil’ gel category
rather than the ‘yummy give me more’.
If you don’t mind the faux fruit taste,
they pack a good energy punch and the
liquid consistency can be a pleasant
change to thicker gels. However, if you’re
moving at speed, particularly running, the
liquid is a little harder to manage. Even
with the rip-top opening tabs, it’s easy to
get sticky stuff everywhere. The higher
water content has other benefits, though.
Unlike most gels, these can be frozen,
which offers an interesting – and pretty
unique – alternative way to use them on
hot days. Interestingly, the GU website
also recommends you only take seven
gels in a single day. That’s not enough fuel
for most of us to complete a marathon.
The packs are also quite big, but because
the contents are so loose, you can fold
them to make them more stashable.
Like the Vala and Veloforte options,
I’d recommend using these in combination
with other gels.
Taste: H HH HH Energy: H HH HH
Portability: H HH HH OVERALL: H HH H
Pros
No need for water
Can be frozen
Can mix in a bottle
Cons
A bit messy when you’re
moving fast
Limited recommended daily dose
Artificial flavours

70 DECEMBER 2023
Get results with the latest science from fitness experts

Save 30% on all print books and ebooks

with discount code ENDOFYEAR30
at www.human-kinetics.co.uk
●FUEL RECIPES

HEALTH

Fast food’s made healthy with these

recipes from gourmet chef Lyndon Gee

C
reating wholesome, healthy
food to share with friends
in sociable surroundings is
a big part of my life. I hope you’ll
enjoy making some of these
recipes and perhaps personalise
them by adding your own twist. Of
course, it’s essential to make food
that tastes great. To me, that’s
healthy food. I don’t feel the need
to have high-fat, high-sugar food
as a ‘treat’. What could be better
than natural, seasonal ingredients,
simply prepared?
Everyone has favourite foods
and flavours. Food unlocks our
memories, and my aim is to bring
these to life in a healthier, fresher
way, without losing the essence
of the dish.

MEET THE CHEF

Lyndon is a fellow of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition,
member of the Guild of Food Writers, advisor to the
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Entrepreneurship, and
former vice chair of the Guild of Health Writers. Find out
more at lyndongee.com

Fish in a flash
SESAME-CRUSTED SALMON
This salmon supper shows
fast food can be healthy
Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Ingredients:
- 2 salmon steaks (120g each)
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 300g stir-fry vegetables
- Toasted sesame oil
- Sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet,
sprinkle any remaining seeds on top
and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
TOP TIP
2. While the salmon cooks, add Experiment with other types
stir-fry vegetables to a wok with of omega 3-rich oily fish,
a dash of toasted sesame oil and such as trout, mackerel,
a small dash of sunflower oil, and sardines and fresh tuna. You
cook for three to five minutes over should aim to eat oily fish
a high heat, stirring constantly. twice a week.
3. Place the vegetables on a dish,
break the salmon into chunks and
arrange on top of the veg, drizzle
over with soy sauce and lemon juice,
and serve.

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
Thoroughly coat both salmon steaks PER SERVING
with the lemon juice, put on a plate Kcals: 505 Protein: 31g
and sprinkle with sesame seeds,
Carbs: 6g Fat: 39g Fibre: 6g
making sure they’re well coated.

72 DECEMBER 2023
 NUTRI KNOWLEDGE
Salmon is a great source of
potassium, which aids the
functioning of the heart, muscle
tissues, kidneys and brain.

DECEMBER 2023 73
●FUEL RECIPES

Veggie delight
FALAFEL WRAP
Boost your nutrient
intake with this simple,
satisfying lunch

Serves: 1
Prep time: 5 mins

Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp low-fat
cottage cheese
- 1 wholemeal tortilla
- Alfalfa, radish or
sunflower sprouts
- 2-3 crumbled falafels
- 1 tbsp tahini

Method:
1. Spread the low-fat
cottage cheese onto
the tortilla and add
a handful of the
mixed sprouts.
2. Add the crumbled
falafels and drizzle
with the tahini.
3. Roll it up and enjoy!

PER SERVING
Kcals: 390 Protein: 13g
Carbs: 45g Fat: 17g
Fibre: 6g

74 DECEMBER 2023
 NUTRI KNOWLEDGE
Opt for wholemeal over white wraps.
Containing both the bran and the germ
of the grain, wholegrain wheat provides
more protein, vitamins and minerals
than refined white flour, and is rich in
phytochemicals and antioxidants.

TOP TIP
Good health food shops sell
a range of sprouted seeds and
pulses. Try making hummus
with sprouted chickpeas, lemon
juice and tahini.

DECEMBER 2023 75
●FUEL RECIPES
Moroccan magic
LAMB TAGINE WITH LEMON COUSCOUS
Save time and calories with this
delicious adaptation of Morocco’s
most famous dish
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Ingredients:
- 400g lean leg of lamb steaks
- Dash of sunflower oil
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 yellow and 1 red pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp turmeric,
- 1 tsp chilli
- 1 tsp ground ginger or 2.5cm
ginger, grated
- Pinch of salt
- 1 x 240g can of chickpeas, drained
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes
For the couscous:
- 200g dried couscous
- 2 tsp cumin
- A pinch of salt and plenty of
white pepper
- 50g dried apricots, chopped in strips
- Juice and grated zest of one lemon
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Large handful fresh parsley, chopped
76 DECEMBER 2023
NUTRI KNOWLEDGE
Traditional tagine dishes are
cooked slower, on a lower heat,
to create rich, aromatic flavours.
Method:
1. Trim excess fat from the lamb and
cut into strips. Add the sunflower oil
to a pan and add the lamb, then the
onion, and stir for two minutes. Add
the peppers and cook for another
five minutes, stirring regularly.
2. Add the garlic, cinnamon, turmeric,
chilli, ginger and salt. Mix well, then
add the tomatoes and chickpeas,
and bring to a gentle boil. Add a lid
and simmer gently for 15 minutes,
stirring occasionally.
3. Add the couscous, cumin, salt and
pepper to a bowl, and stir in 250ml
of boiling water. Cover with a plate
and leave for 10 minutes. Add the
apricots, lemon juice and zest, olive
oil and parsley, and fork through.
PER SERVING
Kcals: 423 Protein: 29g
Carbs: 43g Fat: 317g Fibre: 6g
DECEMBER 2023 77
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 YOUR BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS

TRAIN SMARTER,
NOT HARDER
If winter weather has you stuck in
a slump, focus on quality over quantity
to keep your fitness ticking over

New research from EMOM’s the word

GetPRO has revealed
that burpees are officially
the UK’s least favourite
exercise, enjoyed by less
than 1% of the population.
The study also found that
over a third of Brits start
skipping workouts come
winter (37%), while 27%
have less time to exercise
due to pressures to take
part in winter festivities.
If you’re one of the
many who find dark days
bring a dip in motivation,
the solution might be to
focus on the short and
sharp end of the workout
spectrum – which,
incidentally, is exactly
where burpees tie in.
While you lack the
Photography: Shutterstock
F45 Tooting trainer Jack Healy guides you through a 15-minute EMOM (every
minute on the minute) bodyweight workout you can do anywhere
“Training doesn’t need to be overly complicated to be effective, nor do we need to
spend hours repping it out,” says Healy. “In this workout you need to complete the
number of reps of the exercise on that minute, with the remaining time used to rest
before progressing to the next minute.
“This EMOM format can be particularity useful when measuring the progression
of your fitness. It allows for easy adaptation, progressions and tracking. Some simple
tweaks could be either progressing the reps per minute, or the length of the session.”
Complete as many rounds as you can within 15 minutes.
MINUTE 1: MINUTE 2: MINUTE 3:
Ice skater x 40 Squat jump x 25 Burpee x 12
• Start by standing on your • Stand with your feet placed • Start in a standing position. Squat
left leg. shoulder-width apart. down, placing your hands onto the
• Drop into a slight squat position. • Initiate the movement by engaging floor in front of you.
• Jump sideways to the right, your core. • Jump your feet back behind you into
while landing on your right • Drive your hips back, bending at the a high plank position.

energy or inclination to give
exercise your full attention,
focus instead on controlled
intensity over drawn-out
sessions. Get in, get it done,
and then get back to the
mulled wine (in moderation,
of course).
leg and bringing your left leg
behind your right ankle.
• Then reverse the direction
with the opposite actions.
• Swing your arms side to side
throught the exercise, to
create more momentum.
knees into a squat position.
• Aim to reach a parallel position.
From there, jump explosively up.
• Your chest should be up and arms can
be used to create more momentum.
• When landing, lower your body back
into a squat position and go again.
• From there, drop your chest onto
the floor, then push back up and
jump forward, so your feet are back
at the start.
• Jump up explosively and extend
your arms overhead to complete
the movement.

DECEMBER 2023 79
●TRAINER KETTLEBELL CIRCUIT

AT THE
DOUBLE
This two-kettlebell circuit gives you
a serious workout in double-quick time

T
ight on time but sick of bodyweight
HIIT workouts? This full-body kettlebell
blast is the circuit for you. A training
tool that’s finally getting the credit it deserves,
the kettlebell’s top-mounted handle creates
a bottom-heavy load – opening up a range of
workout options that are tough to replicate
with dumbbells or a bar.

How to do it
If you’re an experienced gym-goer, perform the
circuit in an AMRAP format (as many rounds
as possible) for 20 minutes. If you’re more of
a beginner, aim for 3-4 rounds instead.

1a. PRESS-UP TO RENEGADE ROW

Photography: Eddie Macdonald | Model: Mark Thompson (W Models)

Reps: 8-10
Rest: Go straight into 1b

• Start in a press-up position with your hands

on the kettlebells’ handles.
• Perform a press-up, taking advantage of the
increased range of motion, then row one
kettlebell up to your side, leading with your
elbow and minimising torso rotation.
• Lower the weight back to the floor and repeat
on the other side.
• That’s 1 rep.

Taking a wider stance will make the move more

stable and therefore easier to perform. To make the
move more difficult, simply bring your feet together.

80 DECEMBER 2023
1b. SOTS PRESS
Reps: 8-10
Rest: Go straight into 1c

• Press both kettlebells overhead, keeping your upper arms just

behind the line of your ears and over your centre of gravity.
• Keep your weight over your heels as you squat down.
• From this squat position, lower the kettlebells to shoulder height,
then press back overhead – as you would a shoulder press.
• Too difficult? Simply perform a conventional standing shoulder
press instead.

This is an excellent, though very demanding,

movement that enhances mobility in the
hips, ankles, thoracic spine and shoulders.

1c. THRUSTER
Reps: 8-10
Rest: Go straight into 1d

• Hold a kettlebell in each hand at shoulder height, then squat down

by simultaneously bending at the hips and the knees.
• Keep your torso upright and don’t let your knees rotate inwards as
you lower.
• Power back up to the start, then press both
kettlebells directly overhead. 1d. DOUBLE SWING
• Return the weights under control to the
Reps: 15
start, then go straight into the next squat.
Rest: As much as needed,
then repeat 1a

• Taking a wider stance than

normal, swing the kettlebells
between your legs with both
hands, then pop your hips
forward to drive them up to
chest height, keeping your
arms relaxed.
• You’ll need to maintain a wide
stance, to make sure the weights
don’t collide.

Swinging the kettlebells between

your legs will give you better glute
and posterior chain activation, but
you can also take a narrow stance
and swing outside your legs, to build
your hamstrings.

DECEMBER 2023 81
 Choose
●TRAINER BAND WORKOUT a band that
creates a good
amount of resistance
in each exercise, but

STRIKE UP THE BAND

one you can control
through the
movements.

The following full-body resistance band workout utilises the controlled resistance
of bands to maximise muscle gain, whatever your level of experience

I
f you’re new to
strength training or
coming back from an
injury, resistance band
workouts are an excellent
choice. They can be a safer
option than dumbbells
and still achieve a similar
stimulus. But bands can
challenge you in different
ways to free weights,
too. Typically, the upper
portion of the movement
is harder, because that’s
when the band is stretched
tight with the most
resistance. Overloading
the top part of an exercise
in this way can create
greater muscular activation.
This total-body session
is divided into three
supersets, and each
exercise is given
a prescribed time, rather
than a prescribed number
of reps. This combination
will get your heart rate
up, as well as revving your
metabolism, the effect of
which will be a full-body fat
burn as well as increased
muscle stimulus.

SUPERSET 1

1a. BANDED SQUAT

Time: 45 secs
Rest: Go straight into 1b

• Loop one end of the band around the base of your feet.
• Cross your hip crease with the middle of the band.
• Loop the other end over your shoulders.
• Squat down with control, keeping your core braced and your shoulders retracted.
• Drive through your heels to stand, raising and tucking your hips.

1b. BANDED BENT-OVER ROW

Time: 45 secs
Rest: 60 secs, then repeat 1a
Sets: 3-4

• Stand on one side of the band

with both feet.
• Hinge at the hips and grip
the band.
• Drive your elbows back to your
sides and pinch your shoulder
blades together.
• Pause for a split-second, then
straighten your arms to return
to the start.

82 DECEMBER 2023
 SUPERSET 2

2a. BANDED FRONT RAISE

Time: 45 secs
Rest: Go straight into 2b

• Loop the band under both feet.

• Hold the other end of the band
and stand tall.
• Keeping your back and arms
straight and your shoulders
pinned back, raise the band
directly up until your hands
are shoulder height.
• Pause for one second, then
return to the start.

2b. BANDED
LATERAL RAISE
Time: 45 secs
Rest: 60 secs,
then repeat 2a
Sets: 3

• Stand tall,
with one foot
on the band.
• Grip the other
end of the band.
• Keeping your
chest up and
a bend in your
elbow, raise the
band out to
shoulder height,
then lower back
to the start.

DECEMBER 2023 83
●TRAINER BAND WORKOUT

SUPERSET 3

3a. BANDED TRICEPS KICKBACK

Time: 45 secs
Rest: Go straight into 3b

• Hold the band behind your back, with your heels anchoring one side
of the band to the ground.
• Bring your elbows up, so your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
• Fully extend your arms with the other end of the band straight out
behind your back, then return to the start position.

TRY THESE:

Photography: Eddie Macdonald | Model: Ade Yusuff (W Models)

Myprotein Resistance Bands
2 PACK (23-54kg)
£12.99, myprotein.com

• Affordable, tough bands

• High level of resistance

This two-band set is an

excellent shout, especially
for anyone who wants to
amp up their lower-body
training. Taught and tough,
the bands are also great
pull-up aids and can help
you lock into larger muscle
groups like glutes and lower
back. There’s nothing fancy
about them, beyond the fact
they’re great quality.

3b. BANDED CURL

Time: 45 secs
Rest: 60 secs, then repeat 3a
Sets: 3

• Loop the band under your feet.

• Grip the other end of the
band with your hands placed
shoulder-width apart.
• Hold the band with arms extended.
• Curl the band up to chest height,
squeezing your biceps at the top.
• Lower with control.

84 DECEMBER 2023
facebook.com/mensfitnesstoday
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●TRAINER ABS WORKOUT

TRI TIME
Do this six-move tri-set workout twice a week to sculpt a defined set of abs

T
his six-move abs-specific workout is split into two mini-circuits of three moves each, or
tri-sets. Each tri-set is essentially a mini-circuit containing three exercises. That means
you’ll do moves 1a, 1b and 1c in order, sticking to the reps detailed and only resting after
all the reps of the move 1c.
Do three circuits of the first tri-set, which works your upper abs and lower abs, then the
fast-twitch muscles of both. Then move on to the second tri-set, in which the three moves work
your upper abs, your side abs and then your entire core, repeating the same pattern to do three
circuits of moves 2a, 2b and 2c. Tighten your abs before the first rep of each set, so they are fully
engaged for the duration.

1a. V-SIT
TRI-SET 1
Reps: 12
Rest: Go straight into 1b

• Lie on the floor with your legs

straight and arms stretched
above your head.
• Lift your head, shoulders and
torso up until your shoulder
blades clear the floor, while
simultaneously raising your lower
body (including your bum) off
the floor as far as possible.
• Think about reaching towards
your toes as your lower body
raises from the floor.

86 DECEMBER 2023
1b. LYING LEG RAISE
Reps: 15
Rest: Go straight into 1c

• Lie on your back with your hands

by your head or your sides.
• Raise your feet as high as you
can, keeping them together
and your legs straight.
• Keep the tension on your lower
abs as you slowly lower them
back to the start.

Make it harder by raising your pelvis

off the floor, as if trying to touch the
ceiling with your toes, at the top of
the movement.

1c. PLANK This classic isometric

hold recruits all the major
Reps: 60 secs muscles of your abs and your
Rest: 60 secs, then repeat 1a deep-lying core. Keeping
Sets: 3 your glutes tensed will work
your bum and legs, as well
as your lower back.
• With your hands clasped and elbows on the ground, raise
your hips to form a straight line from head to heels.
• Keep your core braced and glutes engaged throughout.

DECEMBER 2023 87
●TRAINER ABS WORKOUT

TRI-SET 2 2c. DUMBBELL SIDE CRUNCH

Reps: 15
2a. DUMBBELL CRUNCH REACH Rest: 60 secs, then repeat 2a

Reps: 15 • Take a dumbbell in your hand

Rest: Go straight into 2b and stand tall.
• Lower your torso to the side
• Lie flat on your back with your knees bent, holding a dumbbell in both with the dumbbell – lowering
hands above your chest with your arms straight. the weight six to eight inches
• Crunch up, keeping the weight in place. down your leg.
• Hold this top position, then slowly lower your torso back to the start. • Raise back up and bend to the
other side – that’s 1 rep.
• Repeat for 15 reps on this side,
then switch.

2b. DUMBBELL RUSSIAN TWIST

Reps: 15
Rest: Go straight into 2c

• Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet slightly
raised, holding a dumbbell in front of you.
• Twist to one side, pause, then twist to the other side,
pause, then return to the middle.
• That’s 1 rep.

Photography: Eddie Macdonald | Model: Ade Yusuff (W Models)

• Aim to keep your feet off the floor throughout.

Make it easier by
resting your feet
on the ground.

Keep your core braced throughout

and stand tall. Don’t let your
shoulders hunch, and keep your
arms straight to prevent them
doing any of the work.

88 DECEMBER 2023
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For full terms and conditions visit shop.kelsey.co.uk/terms. To see how we use your data view our privacy policy here shop.kelsey.co.uk/privacy-policy.
●TRAINER FOAM ROLLING

ROCK AND ROLL

Let the good times roll with these effective foam roller moves
to relieve muscle tension and speed up recovery

B
oasting the same muscle-
kneading benefits as a deep
tissue massage, foam rolling
boosts blood flow to your muscles,
reduces inflammation and improves
range of motion. It’s based on the
principle of myofascial release: the
freeing up of your fascia (the thin
connective tissue that holds everything
in place) to reduce stiffness and improve
mobility. However, when you don’t know
what you’re doing, that dusty roller in
the corner of your room can look like
an intimidating bit of kit.
The best time to foam roll is when
your muscles are warm – after a warm-up
or your workout. But if the only time
you have is when you’re watching TV,
that’s fine. Aim for three to five minutes
on each body part. Roll slowly and
pause over the sore knots until they
ease. If you can find ten minutes of
your day three times a week, that will
do you nicely.

1. HAMSTRINGS ROLL
• Position the roller just below your backside, with your
torso upright and your hands on the floor for balance.
• Roll all the way down to just above the knee, then roll
all the way back up again.

2. GLUTES ROLL

• Sit on the roller, with it positioned at the top

of your backside.
• Place your palms on the floor for stability and
cross one leg over the opposite knee.
• Roll back and forth along the buttock.

90 DECEMBER 2023
3. CALVES ROLL
• Position the roller just below
your knee, with your hands
on the floor for balance.
• Work your way down your calf,
stopping at yout Achilles.
• Remember to roll your calf from
left and right as you go from top
to bottom.

4. LATS ROLL
• Lie on one side,
so the roller is just
below your armpit.
• Roll along your side
until you get to the
bottom of your ribs,
then roll back the
other way.

DECEMBER 2023 91
●TRAINER FOAM ROLLING

5. UPPER BACK ROLL

• Position the roller under your
upper back, then raise your hips
off the floor so your back is flat.
• Roll down to your mid-back,
then roll back up to the start.

6. LOWER BACK ROLL

• Position the roller
against your mid-
back, arms folded
across your chest.
• Raise your hips so
your back is flat,
then roll down to
your lower back,
then return to
the start.

Photography: Eddie Macdonald | Model: Ade Yusuff (W Models)

92 DECEMBER 2023
7. PECS ROLL
• Lie with your stomach on the floor in whatever position feels comfortable.
• Have the foam roller under the inside of your upper arm.
• Begin rolling up towards your armpit while turning your arm left,
right, up and down.
• You can change the angle of the roller and move around as you wish.
Just do your best to get into your pecs and give them a good roll.

TRY THIS:
Pulseroll Vyb Pro Foam Roller
£129.99, pulseroll.com
• Five effective
vibration modes
• Easy-to-use remote control
• Robust build quality

The Pulseroll Vyb Pro is part

of a new breed of hi-tech
vibrating rollers. Unlike
regular rollers, these smart
tools have multiple vibrating
speeds to dial up your
massage as you need.
There are four standard
modes: 1,200, 1,800, 2,200
and 3,500rpm. We found
the lower two levels ideal
for general mobility sessions
and the third useful for
problem areas post-workout.
The highest setting was
a little too intense for
single-limb work, but blissful
for back work. For single
limbs and troublesome knots,
the fifth mode is the sweet
spot, which pulses between
1,500 and 3,000rpm.
Discovering what worked
best where was easy with
the finger-mounted remote.
Pairing is straightforward – you
just press the on buttons on
both units simultaneously
for a couple of seconds. You
then slip the ring over your
finger and can cycle through
the settings with your other
hand. It’s easy to do mid-roll,
too, so you can dial in the
amount of vibration you need
on the fly.
Overall, the Pulseroll
offers a much more extensive
range of soft tissue massage
than standard rollers. Its
features, build quality and
usefulness more than justify
the price tag.

DECEMBER 2023 93
●TRAINER BACK HEALTH

LET’S GET THIS STRAIGHT

Fix your posture with this mobility flow from recovery app pliability

B
ad posture often stems from
a sedentary lifestyle and poor
ergonomic habits,” says Cody
Mooney, pliability’s director of
performance. “Prolonged hours spent
hunched over desks or screens,
coupled with weakened core muscles
and tight, shortened muscles in the
chest, shoulders and neck, can contribute
to slouching and misalignment.
Additionally, stress and emotional
tension can manifest physically, leading
to tense muscles and a stooped stance.
Stretching plays a crucial role in
correcting and preventing bad posture,
by increasing flexibility and promoting
muscular balance.”
Targeted stretches can lengthen
and relax tight muscles, such as
the pecs and hip flexors, which
pull the body into poor alignment.
Simultaneously, stretching strengthens
areas that support an upright posture,
including the back extensors and core.
This mobility flow is designed to
correct poor posture and regain good
positioning, which will help to alleviate
muscular tension, improve range of
motion and promote awareness of
body positioning.

1. COUCH STRETCH
Hold: 2 mins each side
Why: This stretch is not only great at improving
your overall flexibility, posture and mobility,
but also for relieving any tightness in your hips
and spine, while activating and strengthening
your glutes.

• Begin on your hands and knees with your

feet touching the wall or box behind you.
• Reach your left knee to where the wall
meets the floor, then slowly start to stretch
your chest up.
• Bring your right foot forward, into a kneeling
position, raising your chest higher to increase
the stretch in the front of your hip and thigh.
• Breathe and try to relax your left leg.
• Repeat on the other side.

2. SADDLE POSE
Hold: 2 mins
Why: This pose has numerous benefits, stretching your
hip flexors and quadriceps, and is excellent for someone
who spends a lot of time walking. The deep opening in the
sacral-lumbar arch eases any tension in the back area and
stimulates your thyroid.

• Start from a kneeling position.

• Lean back onto your hands, spread your knees wide
and bring your big toes together, placing the tops of
both feet directly on the mat.
• Lean back on your hands to feel a stretch through
your quads.
• If you feel any pulling through the stomach, stay sitting
up with your spine tall.
• To intensify this stretch, you can even come down to your
elbows, as long as you don’t have pulling in the stomach.
• Stay relaxed as you breathe through the remainder of
the pose.

94 DECEMBER 2023
 3. TWISTED CROSS
Hold: 90 secs each side
Why: This is a gentle way of creating balance
in the body, opening and relaxing the chest,
shoulders and your upper-back region.

• Begin by lying on your stomach, reach your

right arm out to the side, then place your left
hand underneath your left shoulder.
• Using your left hand to press into the ground,
reach your left foot up and back, towards
your right hand.
• Switch sides, making sure the left arm is
straight, the right hand is under the shoulder,
and the right leg reaches up and over to the
left hand.
• As you hold this position, you should feel the
front of your shoulder stretching.
• There should be no pain in your back. If there
is, bring your right leg back, rotating less in
the lower back.

4. PUPPY DOG
Hold: 3 mins
Why: The spine is elongated through this pose, as well as your upper back,
arms and abdominals. It’s a great way to achieve a sense of calmness, as
you can feel the tension slowly decrease throughout your body.

• Start on your hands and knees.

• From your hands and knees, walk your arms far out in front of you,
with you palms flat and fingers spread.
• Make sure you keep your hips over your knees and that you’re not
sitting too far back through your hips. You should feel this stretch
in your upper back, torso and armpits.
• Relax through the chest and breathe calmly for the remainder of
the pose.

5. SEAL POSE
Hold: 2 mins
Why: This pose strengthens the spine, enhances
flexibility and eases lower-back pain. This pose
can also be instrumental in relieving stress and
improving your overall digestion.

• Begin by lying face down on your mat, legs

hip-width apart, palms under shoulders and
forearms parallel.
• Inhale, then exhale as you lift your head,
chest and upper abdomen off the mat.
• Roll your shoulder blades back and down,
creating a gentle back bend.
• Keep your neck relaxed, gaze forward and
breathe deeply.

The pliability app is available to download on

iOS, Android and any web browser. All users get
a seven-day free trial, before a flat rate of £16.95 per
month or £169.95 annually. Visit pliability.com

DECEMBER 2023 95
●TRAINER BODY SCAN

CHECK
YOURSELF
Try this mindful meditation technique
to ease stress, anxiety and physical pain

T
he body scan is used in mindfulness traditions to help
you work with stress, anxiety and pain. It can help
you get to know your body better. Allow yourself 30
to 40 minutes to complete the practice, making sure you’re
warm, comfortable and won’t be disturbed.

Here’s how
Lie on your back and gently close your eyes. Be aware of the
areas of your body in contact with the floor and take your
attention to your breath for a few moments. It can help to
consciously think, Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in.
Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out.
Then, on your next in-breath, imagine you’re directing
the air to the toes on your left foot. If you feel any sensations
here, allow them to release on an out-breath. Continue
breathing in this way for a few moments, letting go of any
tension in your toes if you are able. If this isn’t possible, just
gently accept it and, if your mind wanders, gently bring your
attention back to your toes.
When you’re ready to move on, repeat the process,
taking your attention sequentially from the sole of your left
foot, your heel, ankle, lower and upper leg to your left hip.
Each time, direct your attention to the body part, noticing
any sensations and letting them go on an out-breath.

Continue in the same way in this order:

1. From the toes of your right foot to your sole, heel, ankle,
lower and upper leg, and right hip.
2. To your pelvis and abdomen, then from your tail bone
to your lower, mid and upper back.
3. To your chest, heart and lungs.
4. From your left fingertips to the back of your left hand,
palm, forearm and upper arm.
5. From your right fingertips to the back of your right hand,
palm, forearm and upper arm.
6. To your shoulders, armpits and up to your neck.
7. To your jaw, teeth, tongue, mouth and lips.
8. To your cheeks, sinuses, eyes, around your eyes, forehead,
temples and ears.
Photography: Shutterstock

9. From the back of your scalp up to the top of your head.

When you’ve completed the scan, spend a few moments

connecting to the whole of your body. Feel the rise and fall
of your belly as you breathe in and out, then take three deep
breaths, before gently opening your eyes and slowly coming
back to your day.

96 DECEMBER 2023
 “
Be aware of the
areas of your
body in contact
with the floor

DECEMBER 2023 97
● TRAINER FINAL THOUGHT
DUMBBELL DIAL-UP
Grab a pair of dumbbells and tackle this two-part workout
“This is one of my go-to
workouts, because it’s
target-driven,” says Digme Fitness
trainer Ben Davie. “I love working
with a rep or time goal – it makes
the time fly by and before you know
it you’ve got a good 30 minutes of
strength and conditioning work in.”
PART 1: 20-minute EMOM
Odd minutes:
• Single-arm swing x 10
• Burpee x 5
Even minutes:
• Dumbbell snatch x 10
PART 2: 10-minute AMRAP
• Suitcase deadlift (right arm) x 10
• Single-arm swing (right arm) x 10
• Snatch (right arm) x 10
• Suitcase deadlift (left arm) x 10
• Single-arm swing (left arm) x 10
• Snatch (left arm) x 10
98 DECEMBER 2023
MASTER THE MOVES
SINGLE-ARM SWING DUMBBELL SNATCH SUITCASE DEADLIFT
Stand with feet slightly Stand up tall with feet Stand with the
wider than shoulder- hip-width apart. The dumbbell in one hand
width apart. dumbbell should start only, to the outside of
Hinge at the hips and between your legs. your body.
lean forwards to grab the Bend – initiated through Bend forwards and
dumbbell. the knees – to grab the set yourself in the same
Retract your shoulders dumbbell. position as a normal
and swing the dumbbell Rise through your hips deadlift: back straight,
downwards, keeping it and shoulders at the chest proud and
close to your body. same time, then extend shoulders retracted.
Photography: Shutterstock
‘Snap’ your hips rapidly through your hips Keep everything
forwards by forcefully to take the dumbbell strong and stable, with
squeezing your glutes overhead. a neutral spine, and aim
and lifting your chest. Keep your core muscles to maintain symmetry.
This movement targets strong and stable as the Having the weight on
your posterior chain, weight goes above your one side of the body will
which can often be head to help stabilise the target your obliques, as
neglected. load. well as your lower back.
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Counselling
changes lives

Three out of four men who have had therapy

would recommend it to someone who had
emotional difficulties or a mental health problem*

Scan for more

British Association for

www.bacp.co.uk *
BACP Public Perceptions Survey 2023 Counselling and Psychotherapy