Men's Fitness SA 09.10 2021

Eat toWin Fit Chef

Q&A Hedlund specialises in New ASK A
Nordic cooking, the restau- BUTCHER
Super cut rant world’s “gourmet
health food”. MEATY FACTS
How chef Gabriel Hedlund spends all F O R H E A LT H Y
day in the kitchen — but stays shredded CARNIVORES

by Nils Bernstein BRYAN MAYER,
DIRECTOR OF
ure, Swedish-born chef BUTCHERY EDUCATION,
FLEISHERS CRAFT
S Gabriel Hedlund is a Michelin BUTCHERY
star winner. But seeing his
lean physique and massive What’s the best
bi’s, it’s words like “fitness freak” not cut of beef to
“full-time foodie” that instantly spring cook at home if I
to mind. One of his secrets: the want a lean steak
vegetable-heavy, intrinsically healthy but one that still
New Nordic fare (like raw mackerel has lots of flavour?
with nasturtium, green tomato, and
horseradish) he’s become famous for. MATT M, PORT ELIZABETH
But Hedlund follows an even simpler
diet at home and sticks to a strict fitness Q “The merlot steak —
regimen, too. We asked the chef, whose
new joint N’eat (short for “Nordic eatery”) some call it the velvet
just opened in NYC, USA, for specifics. steak — is incredibly
lean, but it’s also a
How do you balance a but I’m so hooked. I Three things that What’s an uncom- beefy and extremely
chef’s lifestyle — crazy have a hard time taking are always in your mon ingredient guys flavourful, quick-
hours, tons of food — a rest day. I use mostly refrigerator? should get familiar cooking cut.
with staying fit? dumbbells and barbells Chicken, eggs, and with?
It’s about staying — not machines that vegetables. It’s roughly 450g and
focused. What I cook much, but when I do, Buckwheat. Most comes from the heel of
at the restaurant is all the simpler the better. Which vegetables? people nowadays the round, or
about flavour; what I All of them. I always are terrified of eating the back leg. It’s
cook at home is more What’s your favourite have seven or eight wheat flour — and something like a flank
like what every body- healthy snack? different vegetables in carbs in general — but steak but without all
builder eats — some The pancakes I make the fridge. buckwheat is a seed, the muscle fibres.
variation on plain rice, for breakfast. Just not a grain. You don’t
chicken, and broccoli. oatmeal, eggs, peanut Favourite off-duty feel bloated, it has a Salt it an hour
butter, and banana — drink? lot more protein, and before you make
I’m sure it’s great but they’re so good, I Hendrick’s Gin and it doesn’t react in the it, then throw it into a
chicken and broccoli. feel guilty about them. tonic, with a cucumber body like other flours hot skillet with a little
It could be better! slice. do. And it tastes great. bit of extra-virgin oil
Guilty pleasure? and cook it (three or
What’s your workout Burgers. And I’m a four minutes per side
regimen? sucker for french fries. for medium-rare), and
I run outside four that’s pretty much all
mornings a week be- Kitchen utensil you there is to it.
fore work and go to the couldn’t live without?
gym six times a week, My Ninja blender! Let it rest five
minutes, then slice it
across the grain.”

From left: Madison McGaw/BFA; Ryan Scott THE FLAB If I’m eating Q If you make the DURATION: Do 30–60 line, do what fits
BLASTER clean, is three minutes of cardio at your schedule with-
hours of cardio right meal (and a time. out adding stress —
FAT-LOSS TIPS a week enough drink) choices, get that raises cortisol,
FROM THE WORLD’S to lose fat? enough sleep, and do INTENSITY: Keep your causing your body
MOST FAMOUS resistance training heart rate at 65–85% to hoard the very
TRAINER ELIAS S, JOHANNESBURG (to boost calorie of your anaerobic fat you’re trying to
burning), then, yes, threshold but spike it jettison.
BY GUNNAR three hours of cardio with higher-intensity
PETERSON a week should do it. intervals. Just be consistent
(@GUNNAR) and have fun with it,
While you’re at it, FREQUENCY: I’d say because there’s sim-
try these tweaks daily, so it becomes ply no getting around
to ignite extra fat routine. But bottom having to do it!
burning:

STEPPING
OUT

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Learn It! Tipsandtacticsforlivingsmarter Prop styling by Wendy Schelah/Halley Resources

Yes, if you
swapped out your daily
soda for a glass of water,
you’d save 150 calories a
day. It adds up: Over the
course of an entire year
you could lose of upwards

of 7 kilograms..

Smallchange.
Bigdifference.

The seven simple life hacks guaranteed to make you a happier, stronger,
and more productive person in 2018

N O W , W E ’ D N E V E R , E V E R , try to stand between you and your first marathon, a major weight loss, or the job of your dreams.
Thinking big — and having big goals — is important, especially as you set your sights on a new year. That said, sometimes thinking a
little bit smaller — in fact, maybe making just a few minor tweaks to your routine — can yield some pretty big W’s, too. That could mean
just swapping out a single drink of the day for water and watching your weight plummet. Or using a simple timer at your desk that will
up your productivity tenfold. Or even doing some very small, invisible exercises that will have a major impact on your sex life. Best of all:
None of these tricks costs a cent, and none of them takes much time. Yet according to experts from a range of disciplines — productivity,
nutrition, dating, finance — they all offer measurable results.

By Jeff Wilser

1) TO GET THINGS DONE, teaspoons of sugar… or nearly as much The Five Biggest
TRY THE “POMODORO” as a can of Coke. New Year’s Resolution Killers
TECHNIQUE.
4) TO HAVE BETTER SEX, Avoid these common blunders to keep your
You know those red kitchen timers that DO KEGELS. (YES, REALLY.) 2018 goals on track
are in the shape of a tomato?
They might sound weird or scary or 1) Never: Set vague goals.
That’s the inspiration for this hack. even, well, unmanly, but Sex Therapist “Get in shape!” is too ambiguous; keep ’em
Instead of trying to focus on work for Gloria Brame, PhD, (author of The Truth concrete. If you want to gain muscle, set a
hours on end, carve your time into About Sex) says that Kegels are the single goal of “gaining muscle”. Period.
30-minute chunks. Work on a task best thing you can do to boost your per-
for 25 minutes, then give yourself five formance in the sack. 2) Never: Throw in the towel after a
minutes to goof off, zone out, or screw small relapse.
around on the internet. Repeat. “Kegels are essential for male sexual Shit happens. Accept it. Don’t give up on
health. They keep your anatomy healthy, losing 10 kilograms just because you had
“It’s highly effective”, says productiv- enhance virility, and assist with proper two cheat days in a row. Get back on your
ity guru Michael Sliwinski, CEO of bladder and bowel function”. plan.
nozbe.com. “When you really focus on
your task and work on it without any Here’s how you do it: Clench down on 3) Never: Coast and forget.
distractions, you’ll be surprised by how the pelvic muscles for a few seconds, then How many times have you made a resolu-
well you can perform.” release. Repeat three times. And you’re tion on Jan 1, then forgotten it by February?
done. If you’re not sure exactly where Make a point to toss a monthly reminder on
2) TO TRIM STRESS, these muscles are, go to a urinal. “Hold your phone’s calendar.
DO A “2 BY 4.” back your urine stream. Stop, let it start
to flow, stop. Repeat two more times. 4) Never: Brag about it to your friends.
“The less stress you have in your body, Now you know which muscles you need Even if you accomplish your goals, you
the better you’re able to perform. Stress to work”, says Brame. Doing the exercise become insufferable. Don’t be That Guy.
makes you stupid”, says Emily Fletcher, is quick and easy. You can perform it at
the founder of Ziva Meditation. She your desk, in your car, or in an elevator — 5) Never: Set unrealistic goals.
recommends a simple hack that whenever you have a free moment. This can backfire. So maybe your resolu-
requires no knowledge of Zen, medita- tions shouldn’t be “5% body fat, make my
tion, or mindfulness: what she calls the 5) TO TAME YOUR SCHEDULE, first billion, and marry Margot Robbie”.
2x breath. PLAN YOUR DAY THE
NIGHT BEFORE. funds and helps foster a healthy habit of
“If you’re getting heated with a co- saving.
worker or your partner, simply stop “Planning out your day the night before
and take a walk about the room or has significant benefits for both the 7) TO STRENGTHEN
down the hall”, explains Fletcher. “As early risers and the night owls”, advises YOUR RELATIONSHIPS,
you walk, breathe in for two steps and Mike Vardy, founder of Productivity- (ALWAYS) TELL WOMEN
out for four. Do this for a few minutes, ist. “Early risers can hit the ground THE TRUTH.
then come back and finish the conver- running with their game plan, allowing
sation. It gives you a way to calm the them to be more productive from the “Right now, say this sentence in your
vagus nerve, which connects the brain get-go.” And if you’re a night owl? Sud- head: ‘I choose to tell women the truth,
to the body”. denly you have an agenda that gives no matter what. I will be a man of my
you direction in the grogginess of word’”, says dating and relationship
3) TO DROP SOME FAT, morning, letting you build momentum coach Lindsay Chrisler. The logic? Too
SWAP ONE DRINK FOR WATER. for later in the day. often we instinctively tell lies for her
protection. This backfires. “Women
“Stop drinking one soda and replace it 6) TO GET WEALTHIER, don’t need protection. You may not sleep
with water every single day”, explains TURN CENTS INTO MEGA SAVINGS. with the woman that night, but you will
nutritionist Mitzi Dulan, co-author have integrity, a clear conscience, and
(with NFL legend Tony Gonzalez) of First National Bank offers a great sav- higher-quality women surrounding you.
The All-Pro Diet. “Doing this every day ings feature called Bank Your Change The truth is the secret to a hot sex life.”
saves you 150 calories, which adds up to where each transaction rounds up to the
a yearly weight loss of 7 kilograms”. nearest rand, adding the difference to That, and clenched pelvic muscles. Q
your savings account. You can also select
You might think, “Right, but I’m a top-up amount of R2, R5, R10, R20 or Jeff Wilser is the author of Alexander Hamilton’s
smarter than that, and I already R50 for each swipe of your card. FNB Guide to Life. Twitter: @JeffWilser
switched to diet soda years ago”. Yet the then adds your top-up amount to the
same principle applies to healthier- cents you’ve saved on your purchases.
looking drinks like juice. I used to The best part is that it’s free to activate,
drink OJ every morning because it free of fees, offers instant access to the
feels healthy — vitamin C, right? But
the average 350ml glass contains nine

Burn It! Theguy’sguidetospendingmoney

Conquer
yourcubicle

Abs-sculpting furniture. A noise
generator that blocks out nasal-voiced
Janice in accounting. Guy-approved
foliage. Here’s what you need to build
your personal office Shangri-la in 2018.

S O Y O U F I N A L L Y persuaded HR to buy you that standing desk. Congrats! (Also:
Welcome to 2018.) Maybe you’ve invested in a stress ball, tomato timer, foam roller,
and standard-issue sound-cancelling headphones, too. This is all great stuff to
improve your daily grind, and we wholeheartedly approve. But if you think you’ve
done everything you can to pimp your workspace for the sake of your productivity,
you’ve still got a ways to go. With the smart buys that follow, you can turn any drab
cubicle into an oasis of good energy and intense focus where great work gets done.
Because when you’re at the office, you should work smarter and faster, not harder.

by Mark Ellwood

Get a more charitable foundation Three office-productivity tips berts in artificially lit caves who always
from (the other!) Mark Ellwood forget about watering plants can keep
Sure, a standing desk helps break the them alive.
office monotony, but it also shifts all that Our Burn It! columnist speaks to his doppel-
body weight from your ass to your knees gänger, the productivity expert and consultant Clean up your desktop
and feet. What else to get? A standing Mark Ellwood (no relation!), to discuss how to
mat. You can probably get by with a thick upgrade your office habits, too. Too much stuff is stressful — one US
slice of rubber. The ergonomic love child study from Princeton found that physical
of a skateboard and a Bosu ball. 1) Don’t Hide Behind Headphones clutter will subconsciously compete for
If you’re using them to avoid interruptions, your attention, with negative conse-
Sit up straight don’t, says Ellwood. It’s better to attack quences. Conquer your paper mountain
confrontations head-on and gauge the level with brightly coloured accessories cabi-
If you can’t opt for a sit-stand setup, you of urgency. “Ask them if it’s urgent, how nets and desktop doodads. From trays to
can at least invest in a gizmo that will much time it will take, and then pick a time pen pots, all working together so you can
improve your seated posture. A bunch of frame when you’ll respond”, he says. “Get custom-build the best setup for you.
upstarts are battling to design the best back to them on your terms, not theirs.”
one, but my favourite so far is the Kneeling Digitise and declutter
Chair (R4 289, ergonomicsdirect.co.za) which is 2) Face the Wall
a chair that offers excellent ergonomic Visual distractions are fuel for procrasti- Stashing those papers is only half
support and ease of use. It is ideally suited nation. To prevent them, says Ellwood, turn the battle — go beyond filing with a
for people suffering from lower-back your desk to face the wall. It will focus the scanner to turn folios into digital files.
problems as the chair reduces the amount mind and help you keep your goals on track. Organisation guru Kingston recommends
of pelvic rotation normally associated Is it boring? Sure. That’s why you should the Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500, which creates
with sitting. The ergonomic design take occasional breaks and walk around. searchable Mac- and PC-compatible
eases the hip forward and encourages PDFs at a scanning speed of up to 25
an upright posture by aligning the back, 3) Never E-mail When You Can Talk double-sided pages a minute. “It’s really
shoulders and neck to relieve strain and If you have something to say, say it – don’t hard to stop any paper landing on
reduce the stress in the intervertebral e-mail it — and this holds especially true if your desk, but a scanner of this quality
discs in the lumbar region of the back. you’re talking about potentially awkward means it can be processed and gone in
subject matter. Constructive feedback minutes”, she says. If you don’t want (or
Tune out the chatter should always be delivered verbally. Basi- can’t) go paperless, embrace it: Whited
cally, says Ellwood, you should treat e-mails recommends trashing your trash can
Light sleepers aren’t the only ones who like Twitter: “If you can’t say what you need so that whenever you need to junk
need to tune out noise — cubicle drones in five lines or fewer, you should pick up the something, you’ll have to get up and walk
also suffer from the hubbub of open-plan phone or walk across the office.” a few paces to the main recycling bin. It’ll
offices. Sound bounces off all those filing improve your blood flow and alertness,
cabinets, making it hard for Zen-craving find yourself anticipating the end of every even during that mid-afternoon slump.
workers to hunker down. “The biggest recording.
complaint people have in their work Mark Ellwood is the author of Bargain
environment is noise”, explains NCIDQ- Start seeing green Fever: How to Shop in a Discounted World.
certified Interior Designer and workplace
BONNINSTUDIO/Stocksy consultant Lisa Whited. Her suggestion? Potted plants aren’t just for show. Back in
Pick up a “white noise” generator. Unlike the ’80s, NASA figured out that astro-
the swooshing sound fron an HVAC/ nauts didn’t have to breathe in as much
mechanical-air-handling system, white recycled crap when they kept a few plants
noise, she says, is balanced to mask the around. “The right plants purify a host
sound waves of the human voice — perfect of VOCs, or volatile organic compounds,
for blocking out your cubemates. She commonly found in offices,” explains
likes the compact PrivacyMate, which Karen Kingston, a clutter- and space-
doesn’t rely on looped noise but rather clearing expert. Better yet, the most
generates fan or white-noise sounds, each voracious VOC eaters are also among the
with 10 different variations so you won’t hardiest, so even brown-thumbed Dil-

Plants aren’t
just for show.
Even small
ones can
purify the air
around your
desk.

Egemen
Ertugrul

Photographer | @jasonellisphoto

56 MEN’S FITNESS SEP/OCT 2021

SEP/OCT 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 57

Egemen, great to have you on the cover this TUESDAYS – Back and Biceps

month! Everyone has their own special story Exercise Sets Reps
10,8,8,6,4
about how they got involved in health and Deadlift 5 8
8
fitness, could you tell us a little bit about your Chin up 2 8
journey to where you are today? Growing up 10,10,8
in Izmir, Turkey, my family taught me to play One Arm Dumbbell Row 3 8,8,6
all types of sports and physical activity. In high 8,8,6
school I became a certified professional life guard, Seated Row 2 12-14
from there I continued to work as a professional 10
water aerobics instructor, certified massage Close Grip Lat Pull Down 3
therapist with the American Red Cross. It was
in college when I started focusing my attention Standing Barbell Curl 3
on physical fitness. After graduating with my
bachelor’s degree in physical education I moved Close Grip Preacher Curl 3
to the USA to gain experiences, share my passion
and knowledge with others, and make my family Incline Dumbbell Curl 2
proud.
Concentration Curl 2
How do you balance keeping fit and leading
a busy life? I always try exercising early in the WEDNESDAYS – Rest Day/Cardio
morning before getting busy with daily life.
Scheduling is very important to maintain daily THURSDAYS – Shoulders and Forearms
discipline, therefore I have my calendar setup
with different variety of daily workout. Exercise Sets Reps

Most importantly, I always choose an exercise Machine Shoulder Press 3 10
that I really enjoy. If I’m travelling , I always think
about the travel time involved and the diet, how it Dumbbell Reverse Fly 3 8-10
will impact my fitness. While travelling if I’m not
able to go to gym, I do a workout at the place I’m Military Press 4 10
staying or go running outdoors.
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 2 10
What are the training principles you stick to? I
believe and follow a High Intensity workout and Dumbbell Shrugs 2 10
always rest less than 30 seconds between sets.
Upright Row 2 10

Standing Wrist Curl 4 10

Barbell Wrist Curl 4 10

FRIDAYS – Legs Sets Reps
Exercise 5 10,8,8,6,4
Squat 3 12
Leg Extension 3 12
Leg Curl 4 12
Standing Calf Raise 2 12
Seated Calf Raise

What is your typical training routine?
Below is my typical routine and at the end of the
week, I start the same workout cycle again.

MONDAYS – Chest and Triceps

Exercise Sets Reps
10,8,8,6
Barbell Bench Press 4 8,8,6
8,8,6
Incline Bench Press 3 10
8
Decline Bench Press 3 10,8,8,6
10
Dumbbell Flys 2 8

Dumbbell Pullover 2

Triceps Extension 4

Triceps Dip 3

Triceps Bench Dip 3

SEP/OCT 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 59

When it comes to nutrition, are there any
fundamentals you don’t deviate from? I like
to keep same meal for daily breakfast. I always
maintain low carb diet and take protein shake
before sleep. I always stay away from fried
food and caffeine. I don’t believe in cheat meal,
everything in moderation with a disciplined
workout routine.

How can you maintain muscle while drop-
ping body fat? By keeping high protein diet
and lot of creatine along with amino acid.
Definitely have a lot of daily vegetables and
making sure to get full 6-8 hours of sleep.

How do you stay motivated to stay in the
best shape and form? I made physical activity
part of my daily routine. It has become a way
of life for me. Along with exercise, I love to play
sports such as Soccer and Basket Ball.

Life happens, so there are days when it’s
hard to find motivation or time for exercise, but
I make sure I don’t fall back on excuses.

What’s the best fitness advice you’ve ever
been given and would like to pass on? Every
meal has to be portioned, no excuses. You have
to make this a way of your life and not just do it
occasionally . No matter how bad your cravings
are telling you to go for candy over healthy food,
do your best to stay away from sweets.

What would you say are the biggest fitness
myths that a lot of people still mistakenly
believe even today? When people think
they can burn more fat on an empty stomach !
While this statement might technically be true,
because in the morning the body is deprived
of nutrients so will tap fat stores. Wiedenbach
says it is the wrong approach, “Working out on
an empty stomach burns more muscle, which
defeats the purpose of any fat-loss diet. I also
believe that working out in a fasting state is
sub-optimal, since the lack of nutrients will not
allow for peak performance.”

Any final words to our readers out there?
The real workout starts when you want to stop.
Bodybuilding isn’t 2 hours in the gym. It’s a
lifestyle.

60 MEN’S FITNESS SEP/OCT 2021

SEP/OCT 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 61



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NECTION

As you get older, you inevitably lose touch
with your buds — which, new research
shows, can have a terrible impact on your
health. But maybe growing apart isn’t
inevitable after all. Here’s how one intrepid
group of friends, among them a Navy SEAL,
a fighter pilot, a neuroscientist, and a tech
exec, resolved never to let that happen — and,
not coincidentally, got really, really fit at the
same time.

Clothing:
TOMMY HILFIGER

SEP/OCT 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 73

There’s a terrible moment in every guy’s life, usually somewhere
in his mid-30s, when he realises that he and his best friends
have begun to drift away from one another. You know how it
is. Those weekly rounds of beer? They’re not even monthly
anymore, they’re yearly. And that golf outing that keeps getting
delayed? You haven’t thought twice about it. All of a sudden,
you’re busy and married, and when it comes to your buddies,
you feel like lone planets with rarely crossing orbits. Sure, you
get to catch up when someone gets married — and you can
always be relied upon for a hearty “congrats!” on Facebook
when someone announces a new child — but you can’t help but
feel that the party is somehow over.

This grim realisation had dawned on Jared Cohen and his five
best friends, on New Year’s Eve, in 2015. They’d all descended
on the US city of Baltimore for a wedding — one was the groom,
another the officiant, Cohen and the rest were groomsmen and
ushers. But before the evening’s festivities began, they escaped
for an afternoon run to burn off some energy and jitters.

The Sun was out, the air was a balmy 10°C, and the guys —
one wearing a tuxedo (it was a wedding, after all) — darted
through the maze of office towers downtown. Soon, they found
themselves facing a long, steep hill, and did what any self-
respecting group of hypercompetitive men in their mid-30s
would do: They sprinted as fast as they could to the top, which
they reached panting, sweaty, and smiling. As Cohen and his
friends stood high above Baltimore’s Inner Harbor — a group of
pre-middle-aged Rocky Balboas basking in the triumph of their summit — it felt like they were a decade younger, when they
had few responsibilities and no shortage of time to spend with one another.
Later that night, the six of them were drinking wine when Cohen brought up his recent resolution to get in the “best shape
of his life”. Decker Walker, a management consultant, piped in that his girlfriend had just bought him the P90X3 video. The
rest of the guys were intrigued, and no doubt a little drunk, so they all agreed to join him the next day for a workout session.
Sure enough, the group met in the cramped gym at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Baltimore for a January 1st workout that was
a hilarious mess, according to Walker. It was a bunch of hungover guys contorting themselves into awkward positions, arms
flailing, legs dangling, and bodies teetering over into near belly flops. “We were all over the place”, Walker said. “We looked
ridiculous.”
But they were also having a blast.
When Walker said he planned to keep up with the program by working out every day for the next 90 days, Cohen had an
idea. “Let’s all do it”, he said. The rest of the group wasn’t sure — 90 days of working out every day? Who was going to be able
to pull that off?
But no one was going to be first to back down.

IN 2018 IT’S EASY TO FORGET HOW IMP ORTANT ACTUAL friendship really is. On Facebook, we’ve all got hundreds, sometimes
thousands, of friends, and we’re told that we live in an era of unmatched interconnectedness. Who needs to make an effort?
You can just read your newsfeed and see your old buddy’s pictures — or his latest political rant — right? Isn’t that keeping up?

Well, no, it isn’t, and that’s especially true if you’re a man.
US University of Maryland School of Social Work Professor Geoffrey L Greif, author of Buddy System: Understanding Male
Friendships, famously categorised women’s friendships as “face-to-face” and men’s friendships as “shoulder-to-shoulder”.
When female friends get together, they’re comfortable sitting across from one another and just talking. Male friends usually

Clothing:
UNDER ARMOUR
AMAZON.COM/
FASHION

need to perform an activity to reach the same level of inti- taining intimate friendships is key. A study of Swedish men A STUDY OF
macy. Sure, men can pour out their hearts to one another, found that friendship significantly decreased their risk of SWEDISH MEN
but that tends to happen only if we’re doing something suffering a heart attack; romantic attachments did not. On FOUND THAT
together. When Cohen and his friends ran through a darker note, Psychologist Julianne Holt-Lunstad found FRIENDSHIP
Baltimore, they were engaging in classic “shoulder-to- that having few social ties increases your risk of dying in SIGNIFICANTLY
shoulder” behaviour, catching up on one another’s lives any given moment by the same amount as smoking 15 DECREASED
and enjoying one another’s company by finding a challenge cigarettes a day. THEIR RISK OF
to share in. “When we hang out, we always like to do stuff HEART ATTACK;
that has people moving instead of just sitting around”, says None of these happiness and health findings even touch ROMANTIC
Walker. on the impact of friendship on improving cognitive func- ATTACHMENTS
tion, boosting pain tolerance, and making challenges seem DID NOT.
This shoulder-to-shoulder behaviour isn’t just fun. less daunting — yet there are benefits, too.
Grooming by Corey Tut tle/Honey Ar tists Studies have consistently shown that friendship leads to all
manner of positive outcomes. Having a friend you see on And yet, as men get older, they’re finding themselves
most days, for instance, boosts your sense of well-being by increasingly short on time to maintain those relationships.
the same amount as earning an extra R200 000 a year. If
that friend lives within two kilometres of you, all the better, The Pew Research Center in Washington DC, USA,
because, according to Economist, Author, and Professor recently found that modern-day fathers spend nearly three
Paul Dolan, PhD — who’s also a world-renowned expert on times as many hours with their children and twice as many
happiness — people who have friends who live that close hours doing housework as their fathers and grandfathers
are 25% more likely to feel happy than those who don’t. did in 1965. With demanding careers and only so much
time in a day, men are faced with a paradox: Being a good
Even if you don’t have someone who lives nearby, main- dad and a good husband seems to inevitably lead to being
a bad friend.

Clockwise: Walker, McLean, Cohen; McLean; Cohen and Pope Francis, in 2016; and the gang in 2015.

“Figuring out how to manage one’s time is the most difficult thing was hired by Condoleezza Rice as part of the US State Department’s C l o c k w i s e f r o m t o p r i g h t : C o u r t e s y o f s u b j e c t ; L’ O s s e r v a t o r e R o m a n o ;
a man — and a couple — has to do”, says Grief. “So, if I’m 35, when policy planning staff. Today, he’s the founder and President of Courtesy of subjects; William Hereford: Opposite page: Photofest
do I have time to be with my family, when do I have time to be Jigsaw, a think tank within Alphabet Inc, Google’s parent company,
with my spouse, when do my spouse and I have time to be with our which deploys technology to fight violent extremism, attacks on
couple friends, and when do I have time to be alone? I haven’t even free speech, and cyberbullying. (Wired called Jigsaw “Google’s
mentioned work. So, as you turn more to the work world and the Internet Justice League”.) Walker, a former college football player
world of family, it’s a real challenge to keep the friends who were with a logical mind and a mischievous streak, became a partner at
so important to you in your late teens and early 20s.” So, yes: Guys, a management consulting firm. McLean is a Naval Academy grad
too, have trouble “having it all”. But what Cohen and his friends who Cohen imagines “becoming Governor of Wisconsin someday”,
began to realise as their workout challenge started to progress was and has made his career flying fighter jets. Dov Fox, a workaholic
that finding time for friendships, fitness, and family didn’t have intellectual who moonlighted as a stand-up comic, got his dream
to be a zero-sum game. Maybe those aspects of life could actually job as a Law Professor. Alex Pollen, the laid-back, outdoorsy type,
strengthen one another. recently became a neuroscientist and Assistant Professor with a lab
at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine
“My wife always says she has a lot of fun being with me when I’m in the US. The energetic guy who seemed to always be leading the
around those guys”, says Cohen’s friend, Jeff McLean. “It’s like I’m a group into wild adventures? He became a US Navy SEAL.
more animated version of myself, I kind of light up a little bit more.
Remember Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom where they had By the time they’re reunited in Baltimore, and flailed about the
those three stones and when you put them together they’d all glow? Hotel Monaco gym, their careers had flung them across multiple
I feel like that with us.” states and countries. So, as they began their fitness challenge, they
decided to keep one another posted on their progress every day over
COHEN MET HIS FRIENDS IN HIS EARLY 20S, WHEN THE SIX OF THEM WhatsApp.

were scholars together. Sure, they were Type-A über-achievers, The heckling started immediately. The first to finish his workout
but they were also your typical twentysomething guys, playing on a given day would write to the group with some version of “I
knock-down, drag-out intramural basketball games, throwing knew I was going to win, I just didn’t know it would happen this
boozy costume parties, and taking adventurous trips. “It’s the type early”. If someone in the group hadn’t reported his workout by the
of group where, if we were walking across a field, we wouldn’t be afternoon, he’d get taunts: “Where are you, it’s 4pm, are you out?”
able to get from Point A to Point B without two of us racing”, says
Cohen. But, in between, the men used their fitness challenge to just, well,
be friends. They shared pictures of their kids. They chimed in with
They’ve all gone on to ambitious careers in wildly different fields. updates about their lives. The shoulder-to-shoulder back-and-
Cohen, now 35, wrote a book on Middle Eastern youth culture and forth was getting mixed in with some very classic face-to-face talk.

HOW NOT TO SUCK When you Google the words male friendship, you get articles with head-
AT FRIENDSHIP lines like “Do Men Suck at Friendship?” Well, do they?
Men do not suck at friendship. Men’s friendships just look different from
The smartest ways to stay buds, according to Geoffrey Greif, the women’s friendships. There’s a myth that somehow because we’re not as
author of Buddy System: Understanding Male Friendships and a emotionally or physically expressive as women, our friendships are less than.
professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work
So how do men’s friendships actually work?
Butch and Men like to get together, but they like to get together shoulder-to-shoulder, not
Sundance: face-to-face, like women do. They feel more comfortable doing activities with
Hollywood’s other guys. Men would rather play golf or watch the game than sit together in
original bromance. an intimate French restaurant sharing a bottle of wine.

Can shoulder-to-shoulder
friendships be meaningful?
Absolutely. Shoulder-to-shoulder allows you to get into highly personal stuff.
What happens is that, for many men, it’s safer to talk about feelings and inse-
curities if the game is on in the background, offering a distraction.

Men today spend many more hours on childcare and housework than their
fathers and grandfathers did. Do you find that friendships lose out?
When you get to your late 20s and early to mid-30s, you’re more apt to be
coupled up, to have children, to climb the ladder at work, and you tend to not
have as much time for your friends.

In past generations, men had more “permission” to stop off at the bar with
their friends on the way home from the factory or the court or the corporate
suite, while their wives took care of dinner and took care of the kids. That
doesn’t happen as much now. People drink less; and men actually want to be
home with their kids and assume more responsibilities. They’re also married
to women who say, “Hey, I’ve got a meeting at 8 o’clock. You have to be here”.

These are profound social changes.

Outside of going to happy hour every day like Don Draper, what should men
today do to make and maintain friendships?
Men tend to like to be around men who are at their same level of masculinity,
whatever that means to them. So, getting involved in activities you like doing
is a good start to forging friendships. So, that’s number 1. Number 2 is: Don’t
wait for people to reach out to you — reach out to them. Don’t sit at home and
say, “Why doesn’t Joe ever call me?” You need to call Joe first.

They hadn’t talked this much since grad school. inducing symptoms with gut-busting runs on the treadmill.

Their fitness improved, though not everyone stuck with the McLean’s wife gave birth to their second child, and he found

challenge. The Navy SEAL never even started, choosing instead himself performing burpees outside the postpartum recovery

to watch from afar; but everyone agreed he was in the best shape room. Walker got off intercontinental flights in Tokyo and

anyway. And Pollen ditched in the first week. “As a scientist, I forced himself to work out as soon as he arrived at his hotel. Fox

know that every experiment needs a control group”, he says. In dropped out in late September, finding himself for a day on solo

mid-January, Cohen feared he’d drop out when he daddy duty. “I went to the guys with my tail

flew to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum “ AROUND THESE between my legs and said, ‘I couldn’t make
in Davos and had no gym access in his rented apart- GUYS, I LIGHT UP”, it happen’.”
ment. But he adapted, keeping his streak going SAYS MCCLEAN.
with a body-weight workout of planks and push- But the benefits were palpable for
ups. A week later, he and Pollen took a vacation to “ REMEMBER INDIANA everyone. As McLean puts it: “I’m happier
Antarctica. On the sea voyage from Tierra del Fuego, JONES AND THE talking to them every day.”
their boat careened over the massive swells of the TEMPLE OF DOOM,
Drake Passage, and Cohen felt nauseated. Game WHERE THEY’D With Cohen, Walker, and McLean closing
over? Hell no. He and Pollen hit the vessel’s small PUT THREE STONES in on their 366-day streak, I ask Cohen what
gym to lift weights and pull out 500-metre sprints TOGETHER AND he’ll do after the challenge ends. Answer:
on a rowing machine. “After that”, Cohen says, “my THEY’D GLOW? He’ll wax eloquent about the benefits of this
feeling was that I could keep going for 366 days”. THAT’S US.” kind of a workout program, not just for him
and his friends, but potentially for any group
of guys with a desire to stay in touch and get

in shape. All you need is some discipline and

WHEN THE 90-DAY MARK ARRIVED, COHEN, WALKER, a smartphone.

MCLEAN, and Fox had all maintained an unblemished workout But how, I wonder, will Cohen keep the conversation going

streak, and Walker sent them all celebratory trophies decorated once the fitness challenge is finished?

with a bodybuilder in an Atlas pose. That could have been it, but by There’s a pause, then Cohen makes a not-so-surprising revela-

then, working out every day — and talking every day — had become tion. “When you’ve invested 366 days, how do you bring your-

routine practice, so the four men re-upped for the entire year. self to stop and sleep in?” he says. “I plan to just keep going.

The twists and turns continued. Cohen contracted a mild case It anchors my day, no matter where in the world I am and no

of Lyme disease but bested it quickly, fighting off the lethargy- matter what I’m doing.” Q

WIN
THE
WAR
ON

IN THIS EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT FROM HIS NEW BOOK, ZERO SUGAR DIET,
MEN’S FITNESS UNLOCKS THE SECRET TO ACHIEVING THE PERFECT
HEALTHY DIET: MASTERING THE DAILY BALANCING ACT BETWEEN

SUGAR AND FIBRE. WITH THIS DETAILED AND DELICIOUS PLAN, YOU’LL
GAIN MUSCLE, LOSE WEIGHT, AND FEEL GREAT — FOR LIFE.

SUGAR

Levi Brown/ Trunk Archive

PHOTOGRAPH BY JARREN VINK

ONE through my gym clothes day after day was the only way
I’d stay healthy and in shape. And then I came across
MY research that changed everything. And I learned that
STRUGGLE while I had, indeed, been doing almost everything right,
the fact was I was trying too hard.
WITH
SUGAR Weight loss was easier than I ever imagined. And you’ll
discover how in Zero Sugar Diet.

TWO
THE PATH TO AUTOMATIC
WEIGHT LOSS

ZERO IF YOU ASKED THE 25-YEAR-OLD ME TO PREDICT WHAT IN 2015, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS RESEARCHERS Prop styling by Wendy Schelah/Halley Resources; Opposite page: Alamy (7);
SUGAR DIET Press images: McDonald's; Chili's; Applebee's; Dunkin Donuts
CHAMPIONS my 40s would look like, I would have used just one compared two sets of dieters. One set had spent the
FOODS THAT word to describe them: fat. previous year doing pretty much everything that I did:
HAVE MORE cut calories, reduced saturated fat, ate lots of fruits and
FIBRE THAN Fat was my inevitable destiny. I’d grown up as a vegetables, took the skin off their chicken, ate low-fat
SUGAR. THAT’S lonely latchkey kid with a serious sugar addiction; dairy items, cut sodium, ate more fish, reduced trans
THE “SWEET my best friends were the Three Musketeers, and all I fats, cut back on sugar, and exercised a minimum
SPOT” — A DIE- knew of the world outside my suburban Pennsylvania of 150 minutes a week. The other group did none of
neighbourhood was French vanilla, English toffee, and those things. All they did was eat more fibre, at least 30
TARY Dutch chocolate. When my 90 kilograms went into the grams a day.
SAFETY ZONE US Navy Reserves after college, I could see the disgust
on the faces of the basic-training instructors: Who Yet after a year, both groups showed nearly identical
THAT WILL sent us this leaky old tugboat? And how the heck are reductions in weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels,
PROTECT YOU we supposed to turn it into a battleship? blood sugar, and inflammation.
FROM DAMAGE.
The Navy did whip me into shape — morning revelry I dove deeper into the research, and as I did, I began
of burpees and sprints for months on end will do that adding more fibre, chiefly in the form of fresh vegeta-
to you — but when I entered the workforce soon bles, whole fruit, beans, whole grains, and nuts/seeds,
after, the weight began to pile back on. So, I started into my own day. I discovered how incredibly easy it
exercising like a fiend, completing the New York City was to stop hunger in its tracks and, even better, to
Marathon twice and turning the company gym into put an end to the energy lulls and cravings that had
an extension of my office. But in a lot of ways, I was haunted me since my youth.
just trying to outrun the devil. My father had struggled
with severe obesity for most of his own adulthood — But more important, I had begun to unravel the
he’d be dead from a weight-related stroke by the time mystery of why we’re so much heavier today than we
he was 52 — and there was no reason to believe that were back in the 1980s and how we could all begin
destiny wasn’t awaiting me too. No matter how hard I enjoying easy, automatic weight loss without so much
exercised, nothing could overcome my own desires for desperate effort. As I began to teach others this simple
sweet, instantly gratifying confections. method of nutritional balance, I saw how quickly they
could see dramatic results.
As I gained success in my career, first as an editor and
author and then as founder of Eat This, Not That! — Now I’m going to teach this revolutionary new
and later as the Editorial Director of Men’s Fitness and program to you. If you follow it, you will quickly and
founder and CEO of Galvanized Media — I learned a efficiently bring your body into perfect balance and
ton about eating right. I learned about good fats and begin dropping excess pounds at a rapid pace. And in
bad fats, about the role of protein in helping us burn doing so, you’ll discover a new way of walking through
unwanted flab, about how to time my meals to ensure I the world, one that keeps you safely out of the grasp of
was getting the maximum muscle-building benefits of weight gain and one of the biggest diseases of our time.
each and every morsel. And as that body of knowledge And you’ll do it by eating foods you love — yes, even
grew, so too did my ability to help others lose weight foods from your favourite restaurants and supermar-
and live healthier, happier lives. kets; even burgers, bacon, and pasta. You will flatten
your belly, improve your health, and look, feel, and live
But I was still exercising like a fiend because I was better than ever. And you will set yourself up for a life-
still a slave to my sweet tooth. I’d struggle to stay awake time of effortless success. The Zero Sugar Diet works
during meetings, longing for a cup of coffee and a because it targets the most virulent virus of all: Added
chocolate-coated energy bar. I figured that sweating sugars.

And it was developed with the cutting-edge recom-
mendations of the world’s most preeminent medical
associations in mind.

NO WAY TO
SUGARCOAT THIS!

A GLAZED DUNKIN' DONUT HAS
260 CALORIES, 1 GRAM OF FIBRE, AND
12G OF SUGAR—AWFUL, RIGHT? BUT
CHECK OUT HOW OTHER POPULAR FOODS
IN THE SUGAR-LADEN SOUTH AFRICAN DIET
COMPARE. (THE POWDERED DONUT SHOWN
HERE IS EVEN WORSE!)

=

Kellogg’s All-Bran, 5.1g per 40g serving: ½ a donut

=

PnP Full Cream Milk, 9.6g per 250ml cup: ¾ of a donut

=

Simba Peanuts & Raisins, 8.1g per 45g serving: ¾ of a donut

=

BRM Cooked Pork Belly Ribs, 13g per 500g serving: 1 donut

=

Pineapple Salad, 12.1g per 100g: 1 donut

=

Parmalat Medium-Fat Fruit Salad, 12.2g per 100g: 1 donut

=

Steers Barbeque Sauce, 15.6g per 100ml: 11/3 donuts

=

Heinz Tomato Soup, 18.8g per 400g can: 11/2 donuts

=

All Gold Tomato Sauce, 21.3g per 100ml: 1¾ donuts

=

BBQ Ribs (full): 21/3 donuts

=

Coca Cola, 1 can: 3½ donuts

THREE YOUR BREAK-IN-CASE-OF-
EMERGENCY HEALTH FOODS

SUGAR

AND FIBRE:

A BAD simple, healthy diet — one that’s high in
ROMANCE
A fibre and low in sugar, preservatives,
OUR BODIES AND OUR BRAINS HAVE ALWAYS NEEDED A STEADY SUPPLY of sugar. In fact, researchers and unhealthy fats — is all that’s needed
from The Quarterly Review of Biology recently discovered that our brains use up to 60% of the to keep your body’s inner workings
as smooth and sleek as the day they rolled off
the assembly line. But for those rare (we hope)
times when you’ve been overindulging in the bad
habits of the past, help your body recover from an
excess of abuse by going big on these nine foods.

body’s blood glucose. In terms of evolution, they believe that once prehistoric man learned to Asparagus fried chicken: Nutrients
cook — unlocking the simple sugars in starches like potatoes and making them more bioavail- Q It’s a natural diuretic, in the greens bind to
able — it triggered the changes that, over time, increased the size of our noggins. But this sugar so asparagus can help bile acids in the body,

always arrived in relatively small doses, from fibre-rich sources like fruit. relieve bloating and other helping block the buildup
of cholesterol in the
unpleasant feelings. Its bloodstream, according
It’s important to understand that nature paired sugar and fibre together. You see, our current balance of amino acids

relationship with sugar is codependent and a little unhealthy, sort of like a relationship that and minerals may also to a study in Nutrition
still has lots of love, but lots of dysfunction as well. Like a bad boyfriend, sugar is toxic, at least work to alleviate hangover Research.
when it’s allowed to linger in the bloodstream for too long. So even though we need it to live symptoms.
on, there’s also the ever-present threat that it’s going to do us harm. Dijon Mustard
Avocado Q For a mere 5 calories, a
Q This super fruit teaspoon of mustard can

That’s why when sugar hits the bloodstream, the pancreas responds contains two oils, linalool boost metabolism by up
by releasing the hormone insulin. Insulin traffic-cops the sugar, and geranyl acetate, to 25% for several hours,
helping to convert it into glucose to be stored in the liver and the shown to have a posi- according to English
tive effect on digestive researchers. Just make

muscles, and to triglycerides, which are stored in the fat cells. disorders. In a study in sure you’re eating pure
Back when sugar came with a natural fibre escort, everything was the Journal of Agricultural mustard, not the sweet-
and Food Chemistry, ened honey-mustard

fine. Sugar got released into the bloodstream slowly, thanks to the researchers fed 22 stuff.

fibre, and the pancreas could take its measured time doling out the This article is different fruits to a group Sardines
insulin you needed. It was like having your best friend at your back to excerpted from of rats that had liver Q A three-week study in
make sure your lovable but troubled boyfriend didn’t get out of hand. Zero Sugar Diet: damage. The avocado the International Journal
The 14-Day Plan to was the most beneficial in of Cardiology found that
But once we began refining sugar — starting with that first boiled Flatten Your Belly, restoring liver function. smokers who supple-
sweet potato — we started delivering sugar more rapidly into our Crush Cravings, and mented with just 2g of
bloodstream. As our craving for sugars grew, so too did our tech- Help Keep You Lean for Bananas omega-3s a day — about
nologies; we went from boiled roots to root beer and started creating Life, by David Q Thanks to their potent what you’d get in a 120g
foods that dosed us with more rapid-fire sugar than our bodies were Zinczenko, now in levels of potassium, serving of sardines —
designed to handle. These sugars are called “free sugars”, meaning bookstores. thezero bananas can help coun- showed marked improve-
anything added to foods by a manufacturer, cook, or consumer, plus sugardiet.com terbalance the effects of ment in the elasticity of
sugars that are naturally present in honey, syrups, and fruit juices. sodium on the body and their arteries.
so reduce water reten-
tion. They’re also packed White tea
with resistant starch, Q A study in the journal
which helps feed your Nutrition & Metabolism
healthy gut bacteria. found that white tea can

Beets break down fat in the

SUCROSE Q The skin of lemons, body while simultaneously
limes, and other citrus blocking the formation of
Also known as table sugar to you and me, it’s the granular stuff, teaspoon or fruits contains an anti- new fat cells.
two you add to your coffee, those fine white crystals dusted over a deep- oxidant called d-limonene,
THE SUGAR fried koeksister. It’s a slightly complicated molecule, so our bodies don’t which has been shown to
GLOSSARY really want to have to deal with it. In fact, within seconds of sucrose hitting stimulate liver enzymes.
our intestines, our enzymes split it into two separate molecules: glucose and
Collard greens
Q There might be a

Sugars come in pretty fructose. reason why collards are
much three forms. Here’s
all the dope. GLUCOSE often served alongside

This is simple sugar found in all carbs that is used immediately by our bodies for energy or stored in the muscles and the liver as

glycogen. That’s the stuff that shoots directly into the bloodstream and causes our pancreas to pump out insulin; insulin pulls it out of

the bloodstream so the body can use it, and if there’s too much of it, stores the excess as fat.

FRUCTOSE

The most problematic type of sugar health-wise. The body can’t really use fructose for energy — at least not right away. Fructose is
instead shuttled to the liver, where it’s metabolised and stored as fat. This process causes spikes in the hormone ghrelin, the “I’m still
hungry” hormone that sends us out seeking additional calories. Fructose may increase blood pressure, increases heart rate, and
boosts myocardial oxygen demand (basically, how much oxygen your heart needs to function). It may also contribute to inflamma-
tion, insulin resistance, and overall metabolic dysfunction. And we get more fructose in our diets today than was ever possible before
thanks to high-fructose corn syrup, the sweetener used in soda and most other convenience foods.



Now worried that this bullying boyfriend called blood sugar is havoc on your skin’s support system), and people who get 25% or more
rushing through your system, the pancreas can overreact, releasing of their calories from added sugar are more than twice as likely to die
too much insulin and sucking too much sugar out of our blood. from heart disease as those who eat less than 10 percent, according to
That’s called hypoglycemia, essentially a sugar crash: that shaky, a study in JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.
famished feeling that’s different from your standard belly-rumbling One out of 10 Americans falls into that category.
hunger. Because our bodies overreacted and stored all that sugar as
fat, we suddenly need more sugar, and we need it fast. But here’s what you’re going to do about it.

So, first and foremost, you gain weight. But then almost every FIVE
health fear you’ve ever stayed up at night worrying about can be FIND YOUR “SWEET SPOT” RIGHT NOW!
linked to this vicious cycle.
ZERO SUGAR DIET BEGINS WITH A TWO-WEEK PHASE 1.
In a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
researchers looked at 37 different studies on the effects of high- For the first 14 days, your goal is to avoid all added sugars — period.
sugar, low-fibre diets and concluded that “higher postprandial Then, after that, make sure your foods have less sugar than fibre. That’s
glycemia is a universal mechanism for disease progression”. In the “Sweet Spot”, a dietary safety zone that will protect you from all of
English, that means that “meals that raise your blood sugar will kill the damage that sugar can do. When you’re in the sweet spot, you’re
you”. And not just in one way. If you’re susceptible to heart disease, getting the carbohydrates you need to run your body and your brain,
elevated blood sugar will raise your cholesterol levels and your blood and the fibre you need to keep those carbohydrates moving through
pressure. If diabetes runs in your family, it will boost your chances your body slowly, ensuring that there’s no sugar rush that sends your
of developing insulin resistance. If obesity is a risk for you, this is the body into a frenzy of fat storage.
gateway. In fact, this review found links between high-sugar, low-
fibre meals and type-2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, colorectal I’ve provided an extensive grocery list to help you effectuate this plan
cancer, and gallbladder disease. in Zero Sugar Diet, but the ingredients will include whole foods like
fruits, vegetables, and whole, unprocessed grains. To balance out your
“It’s time to reduce our exposure to processed sugar”, Lorenzo meals, I’ll have you add in Power Proteins — lean, healthy, satisfying,
Cohen, PhD, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, sugar-free foods like eggs, ostrich, chicken, and fish — and Flat Belly
USA, tells me. “We don’t need any more research on this.” Fats (like sugar-free salad dressings and guacamole), which will help
to heal your body and keep you satiated as your body quickly detoxes.
FOUR
Once you cut out added sugars and add fibre, you dramatically reduce
BUT HERE’S the impact of food on your liver, relieving that beleaguered organ of its
WHY AVOIDING fat-storing duties and allowing it to do what it does best: manage your
SUGAR IS HARD cholesterol levels. You’ll start burning fat because reducing your intake
of calorie-dense sugar carbs automatically reduces the amount of calo-
AS HELL ries you’re consuming on a daily basis, which forces your body to burn
fat stored around your midsection for energy, rather than the sugars it
LAST YEAR, THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED takes from carbohydrates. You’ll feel less hungry as your body detects
that you’ve started to lose weight. By slowing the progress of carbohy-
approval of a new Nutrition Facts label, which includes a separate drates through your body, fibre helps give you a continuous, steady dose
line for added sugars, forcing companies to list what’s added and of energy, so you never get the “I’m empty” signal.
what’s natural for the first time in the US. And the US Department of
Agriculture, the World Health Organization, and the American Heart You’ll find that your belly will begin to flatten out within days and
Association have all come out vociferously against added sugar: For you’ll feel more energised and fit. In one of the most stunning studies
men, the AHA recommends no more than 150 calories per day from of recent years, scientists have linked refined sugar to a condition called
added sugars, or nine teaspoons. sarcopenia — basically, age-related loss of muscle mass. It happens
because added sugar actually blocks the body’s ability to synthesise
That sounds like a lot, but here’s the thing: You don’t have to be slug- protein into muscle. By reducing the impact of sugar, this plan will
ging Coke all day to far exceed those guidelines. The problem is, even keep your muscles younger and stronger — protecting you from injury
if you’re vigilant, the numbers add up because sugar is in everything and helping you to burn fat faster and more efficiently. And by slowing
— especially foods it doesn’t belong in, like bread, peanut butter, pasta your body’s absorption of carbohydrates, you’ll keep your body and
sauce, salad dressing, and oatmeal. In the form of high-fructose corn your brain more fully fuelled all the time, beating both general physical
syrup (HFCS). Ultimately, these added sugars can be worse for your fatigue and the brain fog that can often accompany it. You’ll no longer
blood pressure than salt and can cause your skin to sag (glucose and need to make poor food choices as a way of getting quick energy, and
fructose link to amino acids in your collagen and elastin and wreak you won’t be dragging through those afternoon hours.

When your first two weeks are up, you’ll begin Phase 2: The Zero
Sacrifice for Life. For this, you’ll follow many of the guidelines above but
allow yourself a couple of cheat days, including a few alcoholic drinks
and the occasional sweet. Because when you find your Sweet Spot, there
are more benefits than you ever imagined. Q

S E PM/ OACY T22001271 MMEENN’ ’SS FFIITT NN EE SS SS 8951



Body Book

YOUR

bodyP E R F E C T
GAME PLAN

THE NINE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER MALE PHYSIQUE ATTRIBUTES — CHISELLED V-CUT ABS,
THE BULGING TRICEPS “HORSESHOE”, THE ABOVE-THE-KNEE “TEARDROP”, AMONG OTHERS —

AND HOW ANY GUY CAN FINALLY ACHIEVE THEM

BY PETER KOCH PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARIUS BUGGE

LET’S NOT KID EACH OTHER: AS MUCH AS WE HIT THE GYM TO FEEL AWESOME, LIVE LONGER, COMPETE WITH OUR BUDDIES, RELIEVE

stress, and, of course, have a damn good time slinging giant pieces of steel, it doesn’t hurt that working out makes us look damn
good too. Which means that, if you’re a guy seeking to round out your sex appeal, you’re probably more than familiar with all the
coveted (admittedly superficial) physical attributes that constitute a “perfect male physique” — the ones even hardcore gym rats
have trouble achieving. These include the well-defined arm “horseshoe” (see: Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter), ridiculously chiselled
V-cut abs (see: Brad Pitt in Fight Club), and the giant wingspan of a well-carved upper back (see: Hugh Jackman in any film in which
he sprouts metallic claws). So, with the help of some of the world’s best trainers, strength coaches, and strongmen, we’ve laid out in
exhaustive detail everything it takes to achieve them. If you’d love a physique even Michelangelo’s David would be envious of, we’d

advise you to start here.

SEP/OCT 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 87

GOAL NO. 1 When eating to get lean, it’s best to confine your carb intake to pre- and post-workout or the evening.

THE TAPERED PRO TIP calories, calculated at 4 calories per gram. We’ll give our
guy 220g.
TORSO Want a cheat
meal? Murphy The remainder of your calories each day can be made up
O REMEMBER THE OLD ADAGE that “abs are made in advises you to of vegetables and healthy fats, like nuts, nut butters, olive
the kitchen?” Well, the same principle applies to your take a tight pair oil, and avocado. (Calculate fats at 9 calories per gram.)
entire midsection. “You can do all the gym work in the of jeans. Wash For our guy, that comes to roughly 35g of fat.
world”, says Zach Even-Esh, founder of New Jersey’s The and dry them,
Underground Strength Gym in the US, “but if your body’s put them on, take On non-strength-training days, you should cut carbs up
covered by a layer of fat, then nobody will know”. pics, and note to 50% and increase fat to 20-30% of total calories to help
how they fit in fill you up, reduce hunger pangs, and increase your likeli-
That’s why getting yourself on a very strict, clean diet — the waist. Do the hood of sticking to it. So, our example guy should eat 200g
with the right balance of proteins, fats, and carbs — is the same thing every of protein, 125 g of carbs, and 50g of fat for a total of 1750
key to transforming your flabby torso into a perfectly cut, two weeks. If calories. But when you eat is important too.
tapered midsection. they’re looser,
you’ve earned a “Earn your carbs”, says Murphy, which means you
But how do you do it? The first order of business is to get should be ingesting carbs directly pre and post-workout.
your math in order, and that means calculating what your cheat meal. Also, save the bulk of your off-day carbs for the evening,
overall calorie intake needs to be, says sports nutritionist which prevents you from bingeing at night and gives you a
and strength coach CJ Murphy, MFS, owner of Total little more energy (in the form of stored glycogen) to carry
Performance Sports, in Malden, USA. into the next morning. “Carb cycling isn’t the only way to
put on lean muscle mass, but it’s the simplest”, Murphy
So, if pure fat loss is your goal, you need to set the goal says. “It’s easy, people get it, and it’s hard to screw up.”
of ingesting roughly 16 to 24 calories per kilogram of your
entire body weight per training day, depending on how
active you are and how much fat you need to shed. (And
remember: Be honest with yourself.) If you’re already
fairly lean and you just want better muscular definition,
you’re allowed 24 to 30 calories per kilogram of body
weight. (Though it’s best to start on the low end and see
how it goes.) So, if you’re a 90-kilogram guy looking to get
lean, at 20 calories per kilogram, you’re looking at roughly
a 4000-calorie-per-day diet.

Now what should it be? Well, Murphy recommends a
simple high-protein carb-cycling program, with which
you eat more carbohydrates on your strength training
days and less on days off, creating a caloric deficit that
torches fat.

So, let’s start with strength-training days.
First, of course, you’ll need lots of lean protein. “That
includes anything that swims, runs, or flies”, says Murphy.
Meaning: steak, chicken, fish, ostrich, and ground beef.
Eggs and protein powder are good too. As a rule of thumb,
Murphy calculates meats at 7 grams of protein per 30g
serving. “Different foods have different values, yes, but if
you’re eating a wide variety of meats you’ll still be in the
ballpark, which is what we want.” All told, that means
roughly 2g of protein per kilogram of body weight (calcu-
lated at 4 calories per gram). So that same 90-kilogram
guy needs to eat 200g of protein every gym day.
Then there are carbs: Sweet potatoes, white rice, white
potatoes, and fruit are all good carbs to power your work-
outs. Those carbs should make up 35-45% of your daily

Body Book Carve yourself

GOAL NO. 2 The triceps muscle has
three “heads”: long,
BROADEN YOUR medial, and lateral.
The lateral is key to the
CHEST horseshoe.

O “NOBODY LIKES A CHICKEN CHEST”, says trainer Murphy, GOAL NO. 3

and we can’t argue with him. If you want to project an image GET THE TRICEPS

of strength and power, a broad, chiselled chest is one of the HORSESHOE

oldest, most time-honoured ways of doing it. But there are O NEWS FLASH: THOUGH BICEPS are cool, triceps actually
make up the bulk of the upper arms. Growing big arms and —
better ways to build pecs than the bench press. “The bench even more impressive, carving out a detailed triceps horseshoe
— means working every part of the muscle. “You need to make
does work the chest”, Murphy says, “but it also works a bunch sure you hit all three heads of the muscle — long, medial, and
lateral”, says Noah Bryant, CSCS. “While you can’t completely
of related muscles, like the deltoids and triceps, among isolate them, you can do exercises that emphasise each one.”
Add these three moves to your routine as much as twice per
others”. With these other exercises added to your once-a- week — on chest day and shoulder day.

week pec workout, you’ll have a “chest you can balance a beer The first exercise, which hits your triceps’ “long head”, is the
EZ-curl bar French press.
on” in no time.
To do it, sit on a bench and grasp the EZ-curl bar with a
Murphy first suggests the highly underrated decline dumb- pronated grip. Start with straight arms and the bar directly
overhead. Lower the bar by bending your elbows. Go as far as
bell press. “It activates more available pec fibres than any you can while keeping your back, neck, and upper arms straight
and perpendicular to the ground. It’s important to perform
other exercise”, he says. “It’s almost all pec because the range the full range of motion if you want better results. Return the
weight under control to the overhead starting position.
of motion is so short that your delts and triceps don’t do a ton
Then the triceps dip is Bryant’s top choice for hitting this
of work.” The angle also allows you to use heavier weights, deep-down part of the triceps. Set up on a dip bar like you
would for normal dips, only this time you’ll keep your body
which equates to more work and a bigger chest. (Using a straight up and down (perpendicular to the ground) and your
feet underneath you rather than crossed behind you. Lower
weight that allows 10 to 12 reps on your first set, perform five yourself until your forearm and upper arm make a 90-degree
angle, then push yourself back up.
sets, pushing each one until you’re one rep shy of failure.)
To hit the lateral head, Bryant suggests straight-bar cable
Then it’s on to flyes. Murphy advises using bands or chains pushdowns. “The lateral head is the one most responsible for
the ‘horseshoe’ shape of the triceps”, Bryant says, “and working
to put less wear and tear on the shoulders. (When the weight it is extremely important to get that look”. Any movement that
pushes weight down will hit the lateral head, which runs on the
unloads as you go down on chain flyes, your shoulders will outside of the arm, but this is his favourite. Start with the bar
about chest level, your elbows in tight to your body, and your
be safer at the bottom and you’ll get a more powerful pec upper arms pointing straight down to the ground. Keep your
elbows tucked tightly in to your body, and push the bar down
contraction at the shoulder.) With bands, you can loop an while keeping your upper arms static. Feel your triceps moving
the weight — and your horseshoe getting more and more cut.
exercise band around each hand and behind your back before

picking up dumbbells. (Do four sets of 15 to 20 reps.)

Finally, “dips are like the squat for the upper body”, says

Murphy, “in that they’re a great way to increase pec mass”.

They press the muscles fully and also hit stabilising lats and

abs hard when done with proper technique. (Perform 50 dips

in as few sets as possible.)

YOUR TIME-PRESSED But to really stimulate
TRANSFORMATION! growth, try suspension trainer
flyes, which utilise full-body
If you just want to get back in shape in 2018 tension. “Plus, it’s done from an
and you’re a crazy-busy dude, here’s how angle that you hardly ever use
to go from zero to hero in only 90 minutes a

week, according to Brad Schoenfeld, PhD, when doing presses”, Murphy
the author of The M.A.X. Muscle Plan. says, “which creates a totally

Perform each exer- Q Lat Pulldown new stimulus that causes your
cise for 8 to 15 repeti- Q Shoulder Press nervous system and muscles to
tions, depending on Q Squat work differently, stimulating
whether your goal is Q Romanian growth”. To do it, ensure that
muscle endurance you’re maintaining a strong
(lower weights, higher Deadlift plank position throughout each
reps) or strength Q Bench Press flye. Perform 40 total in as few
(higher weight, lower Q Barbell Bentover sets as possible, using a body
reps), and go from angle of 45 degrees.
one move to the next Row
without stopping. Do Q Leg Press
Q Glute-Ham Raise

the circuit three times

in 45 minutes.

Body Book Carve yourself

Performing
strongman-
style carries
work more than
just your grip—
they hit your
whole body.

GOAL NO. 4 PRO TIP GOAL NO. 5

GROW YOUR One of the best GET A WIDE UPPER
things you can
GLUTES use to build size BACK
and strength
O TO REALLY FILL out a pair of blue jeans with an O A STRONG, WIDE upper back doesn’t just look
amazing rear, Toronto-based coach and personal anywhere, great, says Jeb Stuart Johnston, a US Brooklyn-based
trainer Lee Boyce put together this stand-alone Murphy says, is a Strongman. It opens up your shoulders and improves
workout you should add to your routine as many as pair of Grip4orce posture. You stand taller and appear more confident.
two days a week. Stick with the order described here —
from most isolated to most dynamic — so you start with which is a US To get there, Johnston recommends hitting the upper
the heavier lifts. That way your body will recruit more based product back with some of the same full-body functional move-
fast-twitch fibres, which is key to building strength. (grip4orce.com). ments that are central to Strongman competitions.
They increase Loaded carries force every muscle in the body to work
But a few ground rules to ensure you’re doing them bar thickness together to lift and stabilise heavy odd objects, and
right: 1) Always maintain a neutral spine, and don’t and force you to much of the load is placed on the upper back. They also
round or arch your back; 2) Press through your heels; squeeze the bar provide tremendous cardiovascular benefit. “Any of
3) Make sure your hips are always the pivot point; 4) throughout each these would be great as a finisher on back day”, he says,
Start light, and make small progressions. exercise, which “or try pairing them with sled pulls and car pushes to
causes targeted make your own ‘Strongman Saturday’.”
First: the barbell hip thrust, a building-block exercise
that helps train the hip-hinge movement without muscles to The first is the farmer’s walk, a Strongman staple
having to co-ordinate other joints for an effective contract harder that works the whole body, developing powerful legs
workout. To do it, sit on the floor and roll a loaded and hips, increased core strength, and incredible grip
barbell into your lap. Lie back with your shoulders and recruit strength, in addition to making your back stronger and
against a bench, bend your knees, and plant your feet surrounding more stable. To do it, simply grab the heaviest dumb-
on the floor. Then drive through your heels so you raise muscles for a bells or kettlebells you can comfortably carry (half your
your hips off the floor to full extension. better workout. body weight in each hand is a good starting point) and
If you can get do it. “Also, nothing taxes your posterior chain and
Next: sumo deadlift, a deadlift variation that uses yourhands on your lungs quite like sandbag carries for distance”, says
a wider stance — with toes rotated further out — to a pair of these Johnston. “Simply pick up your sandbag and walk for
better activate the glutes. Be sure to use a narrow grip you’re golden as long as you can without dropping it. Easy peasy.”
(inside your legs), push your hips back, and lean slightly
forward to grab the barbell. Keep the barbell close to Finally, there’s the snatch-grip deadlift, a deadlift that
your body as you lower it back down. puts you at a mechanical disadvantage with a wide grip
that engages the lats and rear deltoids and keeps them
Finish with the dumbbell step-up, which works the engaged for more time as a result of the longer range
posterior chain even harder. Start by standing behind of motion. To do it, set up like you would for a regular
a bench that brings your thigh parallel to the floor deadlift, but take an extra-wide grip on the bar. Always
when your foot is on top. Hold a dumbbell in each hand lower in a controlled manner, keeping the back flat
and step up onto the bench, but leave your trailing leg through the entirety of the movement.
hanging off. Return to the starting position.

Grooming by Mat thew Tuozzoli/Atelier Management using Dior Homme. GOAL NO. 6 It takes more
than crunches for
GET WELL-DEFINED V-CUT rippling abs. You
need to attack
ABS them from multiple
angles with a
O EVER SINCE CELEBRITIES started showing off those barrage
V-shaped cut lines that start below their abs and of exercises.
disappear into their pants, girls have been lusting
after them and guys gunning for them. Even if you
have six-pack abs, though, the V itself is very hard
to sculpt for one simple reason — it’s not a muscle.
“The V is formed by the inguinal ligaments”, says New
York-based personal trainer Ryan George, “and that’s
hard to build”. We all have inguinal ligaments, which
originate from the hip and run into the pubic region,
but most of us have a layer of fat covering it. “If you
really want the V-cut to be prominent”, George says,
“more important than anything is eating clean so you
can achieve really low body fat”. We’re talking 8% (for
help with that, refer back to number one). That’s the
bad news.

The good news is that there are exercises that target
the obliques and transversus abdominis that can indi-
rectly engage it and cause it to grow more defined.

For this George recommends the cable woodchop
because it engages the obliques and is a functional
movement, the seated medicine ball trunk rotation,
which also targets the obliques and — bonus — can
be done anywhere, no machines required, and, finally,
the kettlebell windmill, which engages the entire
trunk. In the case of the latter, remember to start with
a wide straddle stance and aim to touch your toes with
your free hand while keeping that kettlebell up to the
sky the entire time.

Repeat these three exercises 12 to 15 times, then
start the circuit over. Perform three rounds two to
three times a week, taking care to rest your core in
between to up your chances of carving out your V-cut.

Body Book Carve yourself

GOAL NO. 7

BUILD BIGGER

BICEPS

O THEY MAY NOT be the most functional muscles you need to brachii — or the biceps itself — but the brachialis runs beneath the
grow, says Murphy, but that doesn’t mean you don’t want to biceps, and hammer curls work the brachialis in particular. A bigger
look great at the beach. Here are three moves to add to your brachialis pushes the biceps up further, making them appear bigger.”
routine twice a week. Working the brachioradialis also increases the size of the forearm,
which makes the arm appear fuller. Using a weight that allows 10 to
The first is the towel pull-up. Simply drape a thick towel 12 reps on your first set, perform five sets in total, pushing each one
evenly over a pull-up bar, take hold of either end using a neutral until you’re one rep shy of failure.
grip (palms facing each other), and perform pull-ups. You get a
ton of bicep work on this and because the towel is so thick and Finally, work in some barbell chain curls. “Using chains for resist-
you have to constantly squeeze it, it smokes your forearms so ance with barbell curls is great”, Murphy says, “because — since
you can develop an iron grip. Perform 50 total pull-ups in as weight increases as the chain is lifted off the floor and your biceps get
few sets as possible. closer to full contraction — you can overload the weight you’re lifting
compared with a regular weighted bar”.
“Hammer curls are also an outstanding exercise for making
biceps bigger”, Murphy says. “Everybody focuses on the biceps Do five sets of 8 to 10 reps.

GOAL NO. 8

TEASE OUT YOUR

TEARDROP

O THE VMO, or vastus medialis oblique, is the most impressive leg ments squats and lunges because it loads the quads in part of
muscle to define, if only because it’s the only quad muscle visible the joint range you don’t get from those movements”. When
when you’re rocking boardshorts. Located in your lower quad, you’re standing at the top of a squat or lunge and your knees are
a fully developed VMO not only creates a teardrop-shaped cut extended, you’re not getting any force through your quads, but the
just above your knee, but it also acts as an important stabiliser leg-extension machine keeps the tension on through the entire
that guards the joint against injury. For his part, trainer Nick range.
Tumminello recommends focusing on exercises that hit the entire
quads hard. “If you develop the quads overall”, says the trainer Expert tip: You can work the quads harder by elevating your
and founder of Performance University, “you’ll get the coveted heels with 2-kilogram plates. For the heels elevated squat, set
teardrop”. Mix these exercises into your regularly scheduled leg up as you would for a normal squat, only elevate your heels 3 to
workouts once a week for a teardrop that would make any pro 5 centimetres using weight plates. Bend your knees and lower
cyclist jealous. your body in a controlled manner until your hamstrings touch
your calves and your glutes are below your knees, then return to
Start with the leg extension, Tumminello says, “which comple- starting position.

Hammer curls work
the arm’s underlying
muscles to make them
look fuller, bigger, and
veinier.

SEP/OCT 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 93

Body Book

THE Lean on lamb. One
NUMBERS 85g serving packs

THE GUY 23g of protein
and five times the
80kg, 1.8m, 35- omega-3s as beef.
year-old active male

Recommended
Baseline Macros

CALORIES

2 600–2 800

PROTEIN

1.7g/kg body weight =
135g protein daily,
27g per meal (20% of
total calories)

C A R B O H Y D R AT E S

357–385g (55% of
total calories)

FAT

72–77g (25% of total
calories)

Tprhoetein project

For massively bulking up muscle, o question about it: Protein is king. But more isn’t necessarily better — there’s a limit to how
protein is the ticket. With our sample
three-day plan, you’ll learn how to get just N much your body can use in a setting (about 30g). Plus, to avoid breaking down muscle pro-
the right amount — at just the right time. tein, you need to pair it with just enough carbs (yeah, the macro you keep neglecting) to repair
damaged tissue and stimulate new growth. More specifically, complex carbs help restore gly-
By Jim White, and Lindsay Brown cogen levels and shuttle protein quickly and more efficiently to depleted muscle cells. Timing is crucial,
Photographs by Linda Xiao too: Studies show that getting about 20g of protein and 20g of carbs an hour before and after train-
ing (45 minutes of resistance training and moderate cardio, four days a week) is the perfect trifecta
for amping total body mass. So how do you put it all together? Check out the sample three-day nutri-
tion plan we’ve curated for you, then use it to customise your own long-term muscle-building meal plan.

Body Book Chow down Marinate in
lemon juice,
Done deal. olive oil, and
You know pork garlic for moist,
is cooked when a flavorful pork.
meat thermom-
eter reads 60°C
and the juices

run clear.

Choose wisely. Damn Easy
The leanest Herb-Crusted
Pork Tenderloin
cut — the most
protein and least SERVES 4
fat — from a four-
INGREDIENTS
legged animal
comes from • 700g boneless pork
tenderloin
the loin.
2 tbsp extra-virgin
Max your protein: Sample Day 1 olive oil Food styling by Hadas Smirnoff; Prop styling byNidia Cueva

BREAKFAST MIDMORNING SNACK LUNCH SNACK DINNER Salt and pepper, to
taste
• ¾ cup dry (1½ cups • 1 cup low-fat cottage • 90-120g grilled • 1 whole banana • 120g Herb-Crusted
cooked) oatmeal cheese topped with: chicken (27g) topped topped with: Pork Tenderloin 3 garlic cloves, minced
topped with: with: 30g all-natural nut
1 tbsp slivered butter (or a side of (SEE RECIPE, RIGHT) 1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp raisins almonds 1/3 cup hummus whole almonds or
walnuts) • 1 cup whole-grain 1 tsp dried rosemary
¾ cup blueberries • 1 medium apple • 1 whole sweet potato couscous
topped with: WORKOUT ¼ cup coarsely chopped
• 2 whole eggs + 2 egg 1 tsp olive oil for fresh parsley
whites (hard-boiled 2 tsp whipped butter • Drink 500ml water cooking
or pan-fried) and cinnamon INSTRUCTIONS
• 2 cups fresh salad
1 tsp olive oil for • 2 cups cooked greens topped with: 1) Preheat oven to
cooking non-starchy veggies 200˚C; place rack in
(asparagus, 1 cup fresh veggies the middle.
Topped with peppers, spinach)
¼ avocado 2 tbsp vinaigrette 2) Trim off fat and silver
salad dressing skin from pork; pat dry
with a paper towel and
pierce all over with a
fork. Rub with 1 tbsp
olive oil and season
generously with salt
and pepper.

3) Combine garlic,
thyme, rosemary,
and parsley in a small
bowl. Rub into pork
until evenly coated.

4) Heat remaining 1 tbsp
oil over medium-high
heat in a large oven-
safe pan (cast iron or a
Dutch oven). Add pork
and brown on all sides,
about 6 minutes.

5) Bake uncovered for 15
minutes (turning half-
way through), or until
centre of pork regis-
ters 60°C on a meat
thermometer. Trans-
fer to a cutting board;
let rest 5 to 10 minutes
before serving.

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

310 calories, 13g fat,
1g carb, 45g protein

SEP/OCT 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 95

Sample Tuck it. To evenly
Day 2 cook a loin, tuck
the thinner ends
BREAKFAST under and tie with
cooking twine (or
• 1 whole-wheat English ask the butcher
muffin or bagel topped
with: to do it).
2 tbsp natural peanut
butter

• 1 whole banana
• 1 cup skim milk

MIDMORNING SNACK

• 1 cup carrot sticks
• 1/3 cup hummus
• 2 hard-boiled eggs

LUNCH

• 120g salmon cooked with
fresh herbs and citrus

• 1 cup whole-grain pasta
or brown rice

• 1 cup cooked veggies

SNACK

• Smoothie:
180g low-fat yoghurt
¾ cup frozen berries
Scoop of protein powder
(10g)

WORKOUT

• Drink 500ml water

DINNER

• 90-120g Roast Beef

(SEE RECIPE, BELOW)

• 1 whole sweet potato
• 2 cups sautéed kale, red

peppers, snap peas

Fast-Fix Roast Beef Sample Day 3

(SHOWN, RIGHT) SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS Beef has all BREAKFAST LUNCH WORKOUT
nine essential
• 1.2kg centre-cut beef amino acids • Smoothie: • 90g 96% lean • Drink 500ml water
tenderloin to help repair 180g Greek yoghurt ostrich burger on
muscles (8g) whole-wheat bun DINNER
1 tbsp olive oil post-workout. 1 cup mixed berries topped with:
Salt and pepper, to taste 1 whole banana • 90g Mediterranean-
1 cup spinach or kale ½ cup kimchi Style Stuffed Lamb Loin
INSTRUCTIONS 1 scoop protein
powder (20g) ¼ avocado (SHOWN, RIGHT)
1) Preheat oven to 220°C. 1 cup unsweetened
Rub beef with oil and at coconut water • 1 cup black rice • 1 cup farro mixed with
least • 2 cups raw veggies sautéed onions
2 tsp each salt and pepper. MIDMORNING SNACK
(carrots, peppers, • 2 cups heirloom
2) Roast in a pan 30 to 45 • 2 hard-boiled eggs celery) tomatoes with olive oil,
minutes (turning halfway • 1 low-sugar salt, pepper
through), until desired SNACK
doneness. granola bar
• 30g mixed nuts • 90g ostrich breast
3) Remove from oven and rolled up with 30g
cover with foil; let rest provolone cheese
10 minutes before serving.
• 1 medium apple
N U T R I T I O N (PER SERVING)

409 calories, 20g fat,
0g carb, 55g protein

96 MEN’S FITNESS SEP/OCT 2021

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