Men's Health AU 02.2022

I’VE TRIED A fair few sports over If you’re thinking about getting “experienced climber”, I meant
the years, but none has left me into climbing, or specifically, I once went on a climbing date
unable to wipe my own butt. After deep-water soloing, I figure it’s in the early noughties, and prior
endurance events, squatting has my public duty to disclose such to that I did a bit of climbing on
been an issue on occasion – as personal secrets. Funny how no a few school trips. I’m quickly
have the trots, more often than I one thought to mention this to forced to face up to the fact
care to divulge. But being me when I signed up to give that, not only am I no good at
physically unable to move my Red Bull Creepers in Spain climbing, I also know little about
forearms? This is new territory. a red-hot go. the sport. The only way I’ll get
at least passably good is to
For anyone not familiar with listen, learn and climb as
this event – my erstwhile self much as possible.
included – the fact that it’s a Red
Bull creation might give you an It’s not long before I’m heaving
inkling that it’s extreme and a bit my way up the wall, reaching my
on the bonkers side. Google will first summit courtesy of long
inform you that Creepers is what’s limbs, brute strength and
referred to as deep-water soloing. little-to-no technique. I can feel
Another Google search will tell the inefficiencies of my approach
you that this discipline, also as blood and lactic acid pulse
known as psicobloc, involves through my forearms. Put simply,
high-difficulty rock climbing and I’m making extremely hard work
relies upon the presence of water for myself. The more I climb,
at the base of a climb to protect though, the more I enjoy it. The
against injury (or death) from falls. buzz I get from the baby steps
And for Creepers, Red Bull turns it of progress I’m making is unlike
into a race to the top of, you anything I’ve experienced in a
guessed it, a bridge.  while, and, soon enough, the
climbing glossary becomes part
On showing my wife a of my vernacular, too. My
YouTube clip of the professionals familiarity with dead hangs,
doing it, her response says it all: dynos, laybacks and heel hooks
“What? There’s absolutely no way helps to improve my technique
you can do that”. To assess the exponentially. Indeed, in a matter
accuracy of her predictions, I of weeks, I’ve caught the climbing
go to the basketball hoop at our bug and bought the T-shirt, as I
local play area where I decide start to follow the likes of Shauna
hanging from the ring is a useful Coxsey and Chris Sharma to feed
indicator of my abilities. I last all my new-found appetite for
of 11 seconds. At north of 90kg, altitude. And while I’m still not
I self-diagnose myself as at least very proficient, the nerves around
20kg too heavy to be a decent my upcoming attempt at
climber. This event is for pros and Creepers have morphed into
semi-pros, so it’s a task I’m a belief that I won’t disgrace
setting myself up to fail. The myself in front of the world’s
question is: with six weeks to best climbers.
prepare, how well can I fail?
I should mention, though, just
As I arrive at my first session how physically exhausted I am
at my local climbing centre, I’m after every 90-minute climbing
nervously excited about how session. Going into this, I
things are going to go. On mistakenly thought climbing
informing the instructors of my is largely reliant on upper-body
goal, their reactions range from strength. It’s actually a full-body
smirks to more polite versions of workout – head, shoulders, arms,
what my wife had said. This is fingers, back, legs, feet and toes.
compounded by the fact that, for The biggest strides I make are
reasons I can’t explain, I say that purely technical; learning how to
I’m an experienced climber on better manoeuvre my body and
the waiver form. Minutes later, work with the wall rather than
I’m left embarrassed when I fail to against it. It sounds daft, but my
belay and draw blanks on simple aim becomes almost to be an
climbing-related questions. By

FEBRUARY 2022 51

extension of whatever I’m
climbing, so mastering how to
pivot from one foot to the other,
shifting my balance and keeping
my centre of gravity is paramount,
not least for someone of my
stature. In essence, climbing is as
much a psychological challenge
as it is physical. It’s a thinking
person’s sport.

ROCKS AND A HARD RACE “I QUICKLY FORGET I DON’T
HAVE THE SECURITY OF A
A few days prior to the challenge, ROPE IF I FALL”
I have the privilege of training
with the British Olympian and albeit among COVID protocols. cool, but what if, after six weeks lean back and, one by one, PHOTOGRAPHY GIANFRANCO TRIPODO/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
former world champion, Shauna That said, there’s an audience of training, all I have to show for it shake out my arms. Regardless
Coxsey, in Sheffield, on the new to witness my attempt, which is a one-metre ‘ascent’ followed of the lactic acid pumping
replica Olympics wall. Spurred on unnerves me. Normally, a crowd by a splash in a river, while through my forearms, I make
by Coxsey’s words of advice, as would gee me up, but I’m not Sharma dances up the other steady progress. With every hold
well as noticing how pumped feeling confident. As I approach side? Suddenly, I feel pressure to I reach, the gradient increases
people in the climbing the platform I’ll start from, there’s perform, not for myself but for all and the gravitational pull starts to
community are to hear about a stretcher laid out with a couple the people who’ve helped with weigh me down. Then I do the
my progress, gives me the of neck braces, which perversely my training. So, take this, Sharma, one thing I was told not to do. I
impetus I need to give this amuses me. Faced with the I’ll show you what I’ve got. look down. “Fuck!”
course my best shot. dangers of what I’m about to take
on, seeing the stretcher goes A VERY TALL ORDER Clinging to the underside of
I’ve never been overly some way to settling my nerves. Salamanca Bridge in Ávila, an
concerned about heights, but as I’m off. Hold by hold, I make my hour outside Madrid, I find myself
I arrive in Ávila for the event and Shoes on, hands chalked up, way up, slow and steady – finding faced with two choices: pivot my
see the course for the first time, deep breaths, I’m ready to go. my feet and getting a feel for the body, contort it around whatever
I really don’t fancy it. The stage Suddenly, there are cheers. grips. I quickly forget I don’t have I can grip and try a dyno for the
fright is real and no six weeks of Turning around, who should be the security of a rope should I fall next grip above me. This, I know,
prep is getting me even close to on the opposite side of the bridge and actually quite enjoy the would be a pretty spectacular
the top. Thirteen metres doesn’t practising but none other than freedom it evokes. Deep-water thing to do (on the off-chance
sound very high but in the flesh, Chris Sharma, one of the world’s soloing, here I am. Then I pause Sharma is watching). Or relieve
the bridge seems so much more greatest-ever climbers. To be in and my arms become very tense. the tension my fingers, hands,
daunting than I anticipated. the vicinity of climbing royalty is I’m not maximising my legs, so I arms, core, back, legs, feet and
Something about its curvature
spooks me: the stark concave
overhang is so severe and
imposing that it’s steeped in a
dark shadow amid the Spanish
sun. Approaching on a little boat,
the closer I get, the steeper it
gets. What have I signed up for?

I’m reliably informed the route
has a difficulty level of at least a
‘7c’; the best I mastered in
training was a ‘6a’. All I can think
of is the friendly advice Coxsey
gave me a few days ago: “There’s
going to be the element of
fighting the lactic acid, the
burning in your forearms; then
the psychological element of not
getting scared,” she said. “Not to
put you off, but the higher you
get, the further you fall!”

I’m taking the opportunity to
climb the course before the pros
compete tomorrow, so there’s a
healthy buzz about the place,

52 MEN’S HE ALTH

THE GEAR

CLIMBING SHOES

Tenaya’s Oasi are perfect
if you’re someone who is
looking to get into the sport
on a regular basis. Climbing

shoes are meant to be
uncomfortable to walk in, so
purchase in-store to ensure

you get the right size.

($239, tenaya.net)

CHALK BAG

Chalking up is essential to
absorb any moisture on

your hands and keep them
dry for the best grip

possible. Some prefer liquid
chalk, but I’m not there yet,
so this Wild Country Dipper
Chalk Bag will do the trick.

($45, climbinganchors.com.au)

Climbing can help YOUR LOCAL WALL
your fitness levels
reach new heights. Find a climbing gym in your
city. Here are some options:

Sydney: indoorclimbing.com.au

Melbourne: baysiderock.com.au
Brisbane: urbanclimb.com.au
Adelaide: beyondbouldering.
com.au
Perth: thehangout.com.au
Hobart: rockitclimbing.com.au

toes are under and plummet 9m I’m falling through the air, it feels I was only on the wall for about bouldering and deep-water
into the Adaja River. The longer freeing. Essentially, I’m flying. 90 seconds – but it’s the soloing, you have to work out the
I ponder the options, the more Then splash, I hit the water and explosive and calculating nature pieces of the puzzle. It teaches
I can feel lactic acid creeping into that’s that. My attempt is over. As of this sport that has made you to think ahead and visualise
my forearms. Mentally, I’m ready I swim to the side, I look up again bouldering unexpectedly your way up to solve the problem.
to take the leap of faith and, at the course and the fear has addictive to me. The satisfaction And just remember, the better
physically, I back myself to at dissipated. I’m left with a feeling of navigating yourself from A to B your technique, the more likely
least try it, but I can’t relax of exhilaration: this is one of the is what I’m hooked on. It’s not like you’ll be able to wipe your
enough to make the move. And coolest things I’ve ever done and a run or a cycle or a swim, where own butt afterwards. 
just like that, my arms fail me and all I want to do is try it again. And the only obstacle preventing you
I let go. For a split-second, while again. Physically, I’m not spent – from finishing is fatigue. With Visit redbull.com for more details.

FEBRUARY 2022 53

COCOONED IN STYLE interest, as people no longer wanted to risk
the sardine-like quality of public transport.
If you have to get stuck in the snarls once again clogging our
roads, this sharp new offering from Audi could be your haven It’s at challenging times like this, when
reacquainting yourself with the impotent rage
BY STEPHEN CORBY associated with being stuck in a jam you can
do nothing about, that you really need a
THERE WAS once a diabolically magical only good thing about the loathsome vehicle with a classy, soothing and sound-
time when all the traffic disappeared from lockdowns, soon enough all that traffic proofed cabin – and, preferably, a 19-speaker
Sydney’s roads and driving became not just came screaming back (the screams were Bang & Olufsen stereo.
pleasant but soothing, even satisfying. hard to hear as they were coming from the
driver’s seats of all those cars), and with So it was with some gratitude that I found
While that was perhaps the one and myself in Audi’s stunning-looking new SQ5
Sportback – stuck in a tunnel some metres
underground for what felt like three days,
while trying to keep myself at least
functionally calm with some Very Loud Angry
Rock music through 19 amazing speakers.

I also had plenty of time to play with this

54 MEN’S HE ALTH

MH GARAGE

stylish SQ5’s many lush touch screens – And yes, TDI does mean it’s a diesel, and There’s plenty to admire when you
featuring Audi’s Connect Plus services, like no, a diesel engine is not meant to sound pull up as well, with the SQ5 sitting on
live traffic, weather and restaurant tips good, so clearly there’s some kind of stupendous 21-inch alloys and wearing a
(sadly there was nowhere good to eat in the devious engineering magic at play here mean, forward-leaning grille that looks like
M5 tunnel) and its Virtual Cockpit, which because the SQ5 sounds like a howling, it’s just gorged itself on a lake of black
allows you to change the set-up of your hairy-chested V8 when you plant your foot. honeycomb mesh. A luxury SUV has no right
dash at the push of a button on the steering It turns out it’s not so much ‘fake news’ as to look this menacing.
wheel. I almost didn’t get bored. Or enraged. ‘fake sound’, or what car companies prefer
to call ‘sound enhancement’, but who cares? Frankly, when you combine the luxurious,
The real shame of sitting still, of course, Because it works wonderfully and doesn’t traffic-rage-calming interior, the sizzling
was missing out on the very best thing about sound like a diesel at all. performance and the stupendous noises
this new Sportback version of the always this SQ5 Sportback makes, it would be no
sizzling SQ5 (the Sportback designation This unfeasible engine also delivers surprise to find it costing north of $150K.
means the design of this SUV is sleeker and 251kW and a thumping 700Nm, which gives So, the actual price tag of $110,900 seems
more aggressive, with a raked roofline that the SQ5 a 0-100km/h sprint of 5.1 seconds. like something of a steal.
sharpens its already considerable visual The slick shifts from its eight-speed tiptronic
appeal): the noise its hefty 3.0-litre TDI transmission make accelerating a seamless Next time I’ve got one, here’s the plan:
V6 makes when called on to perform. joy, too. I’m going to drive it far enough to leave all
the traffic behind.

“A luxury SUV has no right
to look this menacing“

FUN ZONE: THERE’S PLENTY TO
KEEP YOU OCCUPIED (AND
CALM) ON THE DASH OF THE
AUDI SQ5 SPORTBACK.

FEBRUARY 2022 55

STYLE

SUMMER STYLE IS AT ITS BEST
WHEN IT OFFERS A DEGREE OF
VERSATILITY. WITH A LITTLE
HELP FROM THE NEW HUSH
PUPPIES COLLECTION, WE
SHOWCASE A RANGE OF LOOKS
THAT TAKE YOU ON A RIDE FROM
THE BEACH TO THE BOARDROOM
 AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LIAM CHANDLER
STYLING BY ARRNOTT OLSSEN
GROOMING BY KRIST YAN LOW

56 MEN’S HE ALTH

STYLE

The arrival of summer means casual suiting that offers a Jacket ($985) and pants ($488)
seamless transition between occasions. Adding a plain both by Tombolini; T-shirt ($30) by
white tee or polo in place of a buttoned shirt will offer you
some much-needed breathability during the hotter months. Bonds; bag ($940) by Montblanc;
shoes ($159.95) by Hush Puppies.

LEFT: Jacket ($1178) and polo
($345) both by Tombolini; pants
($140) by Venroy; bag ($1650) by
Montblanc; sandals ($139.95) by

Hush Puppies.

FEBRUARY 2022 57

STYLE

Don’t shy away from a bold-patterned shirt this summer. It’s Polo ($249) and bag ($649)
a balance of attitude and preppiness that will take you from both by BOSS; shorts ($125)
casual work meetings to the beach bar without missing a by Venroy; sandals ($139.95)
beat. Extra credit for those with a matching cross-body bag.
by Hush Puppies.
58 MEN’S HE ALTH Right: Shirt ($280) by Venroy;

shorts ($140) by Nique;
sunglasses ($199) by Haze
Collection; cuff ($259) and

rings ($199 each) all by
Almonte; shoes ($159.95) by

Hush Puppies.

FEBRUARY 2022 59

60 MEN’S HE ALTH

STYLE

When 5pm hits, lose the suit and embrace a bare chest and Shirt ($120) and shorts ($150)
waistcoat combination. The addition of open sandals will by Venroy; satchel ($459) by
help complete the transition from smart to casual. If that’s
a step too far, keep things simple with this lightweight shirt Karl Lagerfeld; shoes ($159.95)
and satchel, perfect for all your summer essentials. by Hush Puppies.

Left: Waistcoat ($199) and
pants ($199) both by MJ Bale;
sunglasses ($175) by Pacific
Optical; sandals ($139.95) by

Hush Puppies.

FEBRUARY 2022 61

STYLE

When the occasion calls for something smarter, leather Blazer ($4400), shirt ($2190) MODEL: DREW JONES AT KULT.
sandals and a loose-fitting shirt are one way to go. Or keep and pin ($1200) all by Prada;
things chic with a classic suit, minus the socks and tie.
pants ($180) by Nique; shoes
62 MEN’S HE ALTH ($149.95) by Hush Puppies.

Right: Shirt ($170) by Nique;
pants ($369) by BOSS;

sunglasses ($199) by Haze
Collection; necklace ($199)
by Almonte; sandals ($139.95)

by Hush Puppies.

FEBRUARY 2022 63

GROOMING A little gentle abrasion
can smooth the way to
Power-wash
Your Face a healthy glow.

ALLOWING DEAD SKIN CELLS TO STICK
AROUND CAN MAKE YOUR MUG LOOK
DULL AND FLAKY  AND EVEN LEAD TO
BREAKOUTS. ENTER EXFOLIATION, THE
SIMPLEST STEP TOWARDS BETTER SKIN

BY GARRETT MUNCE

THE GOOD NEWS is that your body naturally gets
rid of dead skin cells every four weeks. The
less-than-good news is that it sometimes needs
a helping hand. When dead cells linger, they can
make your skin appear dull and dry. They can also
build up in your pores, leading to breakouts. To
eliminate the gunk, you’ll want to master the fine
(or more like medium-grade) art of exfoliation.

1GET STARTED 2GRAB Skinfix Resurface+ AHA/ WAIT, IS SHAVING
There are two kinds of YOUR TOOL BHA Niacinamide EXFOLIATING?
exfoliation: mechanical, which Exfoliating Pads, $50
removes dead skin using GENTLE A combo of acids clears away Every time you drag a razor
physical friction with tools like a dead skin from over your skin, you’re
scrub or a cleansing brush, and The Ordinary Glycolic the surface and
chemical, which uses ingredients Acid 7% Toning inside pores. removing dead skin cells from
like hydroxy acids to dissolve Solution, $14.50 the surface. Congratulations,
the bonds that keep dead cells Glycolic acid is both Foreo Luna 3 Men you’re already exfoliating. But
attached to your skin’s surface. exfoliating and Cleansing Brush, $255
Which type of exfoliant you hydrating – perfect for Pr unless you’re shaving your
choose depends on your skin anyone with dry skin. on this brush and forehead, too, that’s taking
type, but most dermatologists the soft silicone care of only half your face.
suggest chemical exfoliants STRONG nubs exfoliate while You can still use an exfoliant
because they’re less aggressive. you wash. on your forehead, nose and
Jack Black Face cheeks, but avoid the beard
Dermatologist Dr Corey L. Buff Energizing area, says Finney. Exfoliating
Hartman, recommends using Scrub, $32
a gentle chemical exfoliant like Tiny bamboo- powder too much where you also
a cleanser or toner with alpha granules wipe away shave could make your skin
hydroxy acids every day, and dead skin without
then if that’s not enough, use a roughing you up. more sensitive.
scrub once a week. (Make sure
not to rub too hard.) 3PROCEED WITH CAUTION . . .
“If your skin starts looking red, if you see scratches or scrapes, or the
If you’ve never exfoliated application of other products causes discomfort”, you’ve overexfoliated, says
before, start slowly and stick to Hartman. Overexfoliating can also make your skin oilier, because the skin
once a week until you can work underneath hasn’t had time to heal. Avoid this fate by starting gradually and
your way up to every day. using only one exfoliating product at a time. If you’re using retinol already, you
may not even need exfoliation. While the vitamin A derivative isn’t technically
Always follow with a an exfoliant, it does help speed up the skin cells’ life cycle, says Finney. We
moisturiser, says Dr Robert like Olay Regenerist Retinol24 Max Night Serum, $51. But if you’re using
Finney, a New York–based it and still have lacklustre skin, consider exfoliating once or twice a week.
dermatologist, especially if
you have sensitive skin.

64 MEN’S HE ALTH

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www.edenvale.com.au

The Midas
Touch

Wildly expensive and impossible to miss,
a gold watch is the ultimate horological
flex. But could you pull one off?

BY LUKE BENEDICTUS

TONY SOPRANO is a powerful man. The out a second mortgage. From a financial Hublot Big Bang
New Jersey mob kingpin commands fear perspective, a gold watch is no trifling Integral King Gold,
and respect in equal measures. When he matter. Yet price alone isn’t the only factor
removes the fat cigar from his mouth to for a potential buyer to wrap his head 42mm $73,200
issue an order, his mafia underlings are around. There’s another question of equal
quick to obey. Sure, Tony may have a few importance. You need to look yourself in the wear one with the merest flicker of
personal issues, but as the top dog in his mirror and ask yourself: can you honestly self-doubt then it will overpower you and
cut-throat world, he carries himself with the pull off a gold watch? wear you instead. If you’re under 40 years
assured swagger of a true alpha male. The old, you’ll need some serious chutzpah to
lead character of The Sopranos certainly That’s a necessary reckoning because a make it work.
made life easy for the show’s costume gold watch is such a conspicuous statement
department when it came to choosing his piece. The glinting lustre of this precious Sure, you can evade the problem by
wristwear. For Tony’s big-shot authority could metal is almost hardwired to pull the eyeballs going for a less visually obtrusive option –
only be conveyed by one watch: a Rolex of anyone who so much as glances in the white gold, say, or even platinum. Rose gold
Day-Date in 18-karat gold. vague direction of your wrist. Recognition somehow exudes more subtlety than the
will inevitably be followed by an emotional unapologetic razzle-dazzle of yellow gold,
That’s because a gold Day-Date isn’t judgement in some shape or form, be it while putting a gold watch on a leather strap
actually a watch, it’s more of a wrist-bound admiration, envy or tall-poppy disdain. A gold will turn the volume right down.
power move. As Rolex acknowledges on its watch therefore carries more baggage than
website: “The Rolex Day-Date has been worn an airport carousel and you need broad But if you’re going to enjoy the full-on
by more presidents, leaders and visionaries enough shoulders to bear it. Should you magnificence of a gold watch on a
than any other watch”. Admittedly, it’s hard bracelet then you need bullet-proof
to fact-check that one, but you wouldn’t bet confidence to pull it off. If you’re
against it. Known as “the presidents’ watch”, packing it, then all power to you. Like
the Day-Date was worn by a host of White Tony Soprano and so many other of life’s
House residents including Johnson, Nixon, silver-back gorillas, you’re finally ready
Ford, Reagan, Clinton and Trump. It’s graced to go for gold.
the wrists of a host of ballers and shot-
callers, from Michael Jordan to Warren
Buffet and the Dalai Lama to Jay-Z.

As a result, when it comes to horological
status symbols, the Rolex Day-Date is quite
simply the ne plus ultra. There’s no hidden
subtext or stylistic nuance to decode here.
You don’t have to be “in the know” to
recognise that this is one very big deal of
a watch. Like a red Ferrari or a private jet,
a gold Rolex is a brazen emblem of wealth
and power communicated in a language
that’s universal.

Rolex, of course, isn’t the only brand
to do a gold watch, nor is it even the most
expensive – although most solid gold
watches will invariably require you to take

66 MEN’S HE ALTH

WATCHES

Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K
$22,880

Rado New Original Automatic TAG Heuer Aquaracer 300m
$2700 $4500

Rolex Day-Date 40mm
$51,550

Citizen Men’s World Time Blancpain Fifty Fathoms
Diamond Gold Watch $999 Bathyscahpe $34,700

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch
Professional in Sedna Gold $53,150

FEBRUARY 2022 67

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FEBRUARY 2022 69

MH COVER GUY

JACOB ELORDI, the 24-year-old Aussie star of Euphoria,

has a hot show and a new film. He’s on the rise
and he’s glad. Kind of. Maybe

BY L AUREN L ARSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY BE AU GRE ALY
70 MEN’S HE ALTH

TACTICS

FEBRUARY 2022 71

IS A

for the ne coadapted by Euphoria’s Sam Levinson. a dark symbol of a young
Euphoria whic But Elordi gets it: he stands out. He towers man’s inner turmoil – over the
school quarterback, Elordi, 24, headed to pressure to be strong and stoic,
a gym he prefers not to name, an exclusive over everyone in Blue Bottle. He’s especially even sociopathic; over his
luxury ab bunker in Los Angeles popular tall for the film industry, in which actors attractions; over his dad’s porn
among YouTubers, TikTok teens and other are often much shorter than they appear collection. His character is the
wretches of the hype milieu who, invariably, onscreen – a holdover from when leading epitome of white-male privilege.
train shirtless. ladies and leading men had to be close in He lives in an imagined honour
height, Elordi speculates. He is tall enough culture, weaponising his strength
“I would never train shirtless,” Elordi says, that petite costars sometimes need to stand and untouchability. He does a lot
“but from day dot, I would just rip my shirt on a box to be squarely in the shot or he of pull-ups.
off and have, like, headphones on, playing must split his legs into a V to mitigate
Rage Against the Machine. I was trying to the vertical differential. Nate’s more brutal moments
understand this mentality of what it is to be in are accompanied by a moody
the gym and look at yourself in the mirror and Everybody has something to say about track by the rapper Labrinth. His
be like, ‘Faaaack, I look good’.” Elordi’s height. When his mother urged him theme song, “Nate Growing Up”,
to try modeling when he was 15, he was told has a thumping beat punctuated
This is not Elordi’s typical vibe. When he was too tall for the sample sizes. (“I’m very by a pained, primal male
we meet at a Blue Bottle Coffee in Malibu, he grateful,” he says of his aborted modelling “Uaaahhh!” Elordi has the song
seems to be trying very hard not to be seen. career. “I truly think I would’ve been on his phone and plays it when
He’s tied an expensive-looking floral scarf miserable if I had to do that.”) he’s working to get in the lunatic-
around the lower half of his face, and he is arsehole spirit.
wearing large black sunglasses. His pants and He’s been told he’s too tall to be an actor,
jacket are loose and Carhartt-y. Between his too. But how, he asks, does height affect Before I watched it, Euphoria
height – he’s six-foot-five (195cm) – his partly someone’s empathy or emotional availability? was described to me as “dark
obscured face and his baggy clothes, he gives “I guess tall people don’t experience things,” Degrassi”. In the first season,
the impression of several children stacked on he jokes. One could make the argument that Nate chokes Maddy, severely
one another’s shoulders, disguised as a grown they don’t – that, per the memes, a tall man bruising her neck. When her
man. It is immediately clear to all in this cafe occupies such a privileged position, à la Jon parents learn of the assault and
that he is an incognito famous person. Hamm in the hot-guy bubble on 30 Rock, that move to press charges, Nate
his empathy is limited. But one does not make creates a web of manipulation:
The Malibuans who do recognise him, this argument to Jacob Elordi at this time. he convinces her to say
by his thick brows, maybe, would likely another man choked her, he
be surprised that he does not often think, Besides, he explains, he’s not actually intimidates that man into
Faaaack, I look good – that Jacob Elordi is that tall. “The trick is they just always cast confessing to the crime and he blackmails
not as obsessed with Jacob Elordi’s body as me with girls who are five-foot-two (157cm). a character into claiming she witnessed the
everyone else is. Everyone’s like, ‘You’re so big!’ Yeah, but other man committing the assault. Uaaahhh!
they’re also not big, not even average-sized
Right now he’s more preoccupied with women. They’re quite small.” It’s a brave performance for an actor
being noticed for something besides his pecs, who is relatively new on the scene, in part
his height, his out-of-this-world jawline and Indeed, in several scenes in Netflix’s The because Nate is so hateable. (Elordi, for what
his dating life. He’d like to be noticed for Kissing Booth, now a three-part franchise, it’s worth, thinks we throw around the word
his work, for instance. Beyond starring in Elordi’s co-star Joey King is barely level brave too liberally, especially when it pertains
Euphoria’s second season, premiering on with his torso, craning her head to speak to celebrities taking risks from the safe perch
January 9, Elordi will appear alongside to him. And Euphoria deploys Elordi’s of being a celebrity – he has an idea for a film
Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas in Deep height strategically: in many scenes, his that plays with that notion, but he won’t share
Water (streaming on Amazon Prime character, Nate, looms over his on-and-off it on the record.) His behaviour in season one
from January 14), a film based on the girlfriend Maddy, sometimes protectively and inspired think pieces and Twitter rage: Nate
novel by Patricia Highsmith and sometimes threateningly.

On Euphoria, Elordi’s body becomes

72 MEN’S HE ALTH

TACTICS

Page 71: Vintage
tank, available at the
Society Archive;
sweatpants by True
Classic; sneakers
by Salomon; socks
by Nike. This page:
T-shirt by Hiro
Clark; sweatpants
by Cotton Citizen;
sneakers by Salomon;
socks by Nike.

was a totem for very, very toxic masculinity. runt of a who is wearing a utilitarian-
But at least people weren’t just talking friend’s litter, Elordi says – who appear to style harness that could
be smiling at all times. She is sweet and soft reasonably mark a service dog
about Elordi’s body anymore. and good and she goes everywhere with in training, gazes up at Elordi
him. She guards Elordi in the metaphorical adoringly. “Great,” the cashier
THE OTHER CUSTOMERS sense, absorbing attention and giving him says, looking relieved.
something to talk about and fidget with.
in line for coffee seem more interested in When Elordi has taken a seat
the guard dog at Elordi’s feet, Layla. Before At the register, Elordi orders an oat-milk outside at a stone table, I ask
anyone can stare at the actor too long, latte. The cashier rings him up and then him whether Layla is actually
Layla peers up with her warm eyes and peers at Layla. “I have to ask: that’s a service a service dog. “Yeah,” he says,
the moment is over, the potential interloper dog, right?” but then qualifies: well, he’s
distracted. Layla is 10 months old and done the service-dog paperwork.
she is one of those golden retrievers – the “She is,” Elordi answers pleasantly. Layla, “She makes me happy, which
is a service.” Layla curls up on
the ground, unaware that she is
living in sin. Elordi removes his
face covering – pow, that sharp
jaw! – but leaves his sunglasses
on, even though it’s late afternoon
and the sun, which hasn’t been
particularly bright anyway thanks
to a robust mist, is setting.
He starts our conversation
sitting rigidly. Sometimes he looks
down at the table’s chessboard
surface, but mostly he stares
straight ahead, his gaze unnerving
through the dark sunglasses,
unreadable, like an FBI agent’s.
But soon he begins to move more.
He leans in and out, hunching over
and twisting to the right, peering
at me with his left eye. He says he
typically gesticulates and fidgets a
lot in conversation, so I take it as a
good sign. Soon he takes off his shades and
appears friendlier.
The shyness is endearing, and a little
unexpected from someone so Abercrombie
looking. The attention on his body – which
was full-on after The Kissing Booth, for
which he trained twice a day, seven days a
week – has unsettled him. The movie features
a scene where a foam football bounces
satisfyingly off his taut biceps like a grape

FEBRUARY 2022 73

74 MEN’S HE ALTH

TACTICS

LWTINIOKHTEPAO.UTYTTSYOHLAOUEILPURVLPRABYEBONOROIDUYTDYRSYYLIVOSOLAFOPLOEUKES

off a firm mattress. “You learn body looks like,” he says. “Your body is going Elordi pauses often during our
quickly that what people take to deteriorate.” conversation, peppering his sentences with
away from those movies is your cool-guy ums and likes. Yet when he begins to
stature and your figure,” he says. Elordi’s may deteriorate less. describe the culture of the school, his syntax
“You have all sorts of aged people Objectification was an unsavoury by- falls apart completely. “Um, looking back at
around the world only talking product of his training for The Kissing Booth, some of the . . . that happens there, it’s like,
about what you look like.” but he enjoyed the training itself. His mother absolutely not like, uh, they say that, you
used to be a personal trainer – he grew up in know, to build young men . . . Um, but no, I
Women might eye-roll at a a “very, very fit family” in Brisbane before don’t think that the structure of that school
man apparently discovering global moving to Melbourne – and he was an athlete did anything for building young men at all.”
objectification and Elordi’s fandom in high school, so exercising and eating well
may be more benign than the kind have always been big priorities. And when There were no girls to balance out the vibe,
experienced by female actors, but he’s not motivated by aesthetics, like when either, Elordi says, apart from at dances with
there are also fewer structures in he’s training for a role, he exercises because a sister school. He has three sisters, and he’s
place to insulate young men from he wants to feel good, now and when he’s 80 very close to his mother (“I have a brother
that attention. Whereas sensitivity years old. and a dad as well, but I grew up in a house of
in how we talk about and write about women, you know?”), so he sometimes felt
women is on the rise, objectification Elordi seems preoccupied with not being like an outsider in conversations with his
of men is often met with a “Must be too inextricably tied to his fitness, and with classmates. “Seeing the way they spoke
nice!” dismissal. “I don’t think it’s the perceived binary between being really about things at the school, I was like, ‘This
really a conversation that people have fit and being a serious creator. His ambitions doesn’t make any sense. How could you
in regards to men,” Elordi says. “It suggest that he’s much better aligned speak like that?’”
doesn’t keep me up at night, but it’s with Deep Water than, say, The Kissing
definitely frustrating. You’ll go to a Booth – more Ben Mendelsohn than Chris He further attributes the school’s culture
shoot and you’ll be getting changed Hemsworth. (The Aussie actor he really looks to its emphasis on athletics, pointing to a
or something, and someone’s like, up to, though, is Margot Robbie. Outside of “win-or-lose mentality” and a bigger-
‘Oooaaah, would you look?’ Can you her work, he says admiringly, “you don’t hear better-stronger mindset. But Elordi was cut
imagine if I said to a woman, ‘Daaaaamn, look much about her”.) loose from the glory of manly sport by a twist
at your waist!’? Like, see you later. I would of fate – and bone.
never do that, but I think people see it on their His role in Euphoria, too, suits him,
screens, so they think it’s okay.” even if neither the HBO series nor The He played rugby throughout high school,
His is not a serious grievance, he Kissing Booth was true to Elordi’s own high and he was pretty good at it – right up until
undercuts, but he’s concerned about how the school experience. This is partly because, the day he went in for a tackle and collapsed
focus on his body might influence audiences’ he explains, Australian schools look very on the ground. He’d broken a bone in his back.
perception of him. And he’s worried about different from American ones. “They feel He had to lie on the floor during school for a
how it could affect his self-perception. “It’s kind of communist here or something. There’s year and still feels the injury every day, but
a slippery slope to put all your value into the barbed-wire fences and, like, lockers. Ours are he’s glad it happened regardless. He
vanity of what your much more like a community.” had arrived at a crossroads: he knew he
wanted to be an actor, but in such a sports-
OKlpepino;ssitwee, taotppalenfttsabnydRriugshste: TllaAntkhbleytCica;lvin Elordi also wasn’t a sociopath in high driven environment, he felt pressure to
sBsBAnnooreetcttatahookkimmeevrrerlsse;igbbsfhtywy:tSSVe: aTaainaltlopotnammakgnbooetynsnta.H;bsnyaoknTc,reakusvse;absCiylhaloNabrsiltkesseiacb.t.ythHeirSooCcliaertky; school, so when he’s acting on Euphoria, focus on athletics. “I was at a point where I
he typically just does the opposite of what wasn’t enjoying playing sports anymore and
he would have done as a teenager. But he it let me just be like” – he shrugs – “and just
did go to a “pretty insane” private all- fade away, onto the stage. Which was really,
boys Catholic school in a wealthy part of really rewarding.”
Melbourne, he says, “and that was not
sort of like my position in the world, but Many Aussie actors now popular in the
it was definitely an eye-opening experience.” US have salmon-swum up Australia’s soap-

FEBRUARY 2022 75

RAPID FIRE Tank by Hiro
Clark; sweatpants
Frenemy exercise by Cotton Citizen.
“Legs. Sucks. All of it.

Especially lunges.”

Workout anthem
“Any Eminem song.”

Cheat meal
“A Slurpee and popcorn.
I have to have that when I

go to the movies.”

Book you recommend
“Bewilderment, by
Richard Powers.”

Your go-to when
you’re cooking for

someone
“Chicken burgers.”

The movie you say is
your favourite to
impress someone
“8½.”

Your actual
favourite movie
“The Dark Knight.”

Euphemism for sex
“Coitus. What a
strange word.”

STYLING: TED STAFFORD. GROOMING: DAVID COX/ART DEPT. SET DESIGN:
DANIELLE VON BRAUN/ART DEPT. PRODUCTION: CRAWFORD & CO PRODUCTIONS.

76 MEN’S HE ALTH

TACTICS

opera pipeline, scoring roles on Home and 2020, for instance, a Twitter user shared three to return home to visit his family. He speaks
Away (Chris Hemsworth, Isla Fisher, Heath photos of Elordi with three different women – to his mother often, pretty much whenever
Ledger) and Neighbours (Margot Robbie, Joey King, Zendaya, and Gerber – at the same he’s driving, but he wishes he could visit on
Liam Hemsworth, Russell Crowe). Elordi outdoor market. Ultimately, in a response to weekends at least.
auditioned many times for both shows the national outburst, he shared a photo of
but was never cast. “I dunno, I wasn’t very himself video-chatting with his parents on He moved to America when he was 19 and
good,” he says, laughing. “I was pretty bad.” Instagram. he barely knew anybody. “It’s kind of stayed
“This is a reminder that I am a human being,” that way,” he says, five years later. “I know a
He went to acting school in Melbourne Elordi wrote. few people. I have a few friends. But I’m not
and got better, then burst from the mad about it. I’m here to work, and then I’ll get
Hollywood womb with an ease and alacrity But generally Elordi just blinders himself home when I can.”
suggestive of someone with a Hollywood- and tries to ignore the attention. Layla,
adjacent producer relative, which, as far as beyond providing the joy a puppy inherently You have to do those first few years in
I know, he does not have. Now here he is, does, seems to help him engage with his Los Angeles, he continues, when you don’t
an ocean away from home. surroundings while still keeping himself at have much money or a real home and you’re
a remove. A little boy wearing cool blue elastic- still finding your footing. Not that he’s
WHEN IT’S ALMOST DARK band kid glasses passes by several times on complaining, he adds, because he’s had a lot
his tricycle, hoping to get her attention. The of fun: “Some people work for decades trying
and Elordi seems to have relaxed, I risk actress Jennifer Coolidge, or a strong look- to crack it, so I’m definitely aware, definitely
asking a question that alludes to his alike, emerges from a nearby carpark and grateful, for the luck that I’ve had.”
relationship with Kaia Gerber, which, drifts by, looking warmly at the dog. Elordi
according to scores of news outlets, ended leans down and pets Layla absently. “I just Our formal interview over, we walk to the
shortly after our meeting. I wonder want to be a part of the world,” he says. “I carpark, Layla coquettishly waits to be hoisted
whether the attention he received want to have a life. I want to have the same into the back of his black Range Rover, where
when spotted with her was more 80-, 85-year – more or less – experience that she instantly curls up on a blanket.
overwhelming. Elordi straightens up everyone has. I don’t want to miss anything
from the table, slackening his face and by sitting on some overly sour pile of candy.” As he pulls out of the carpark, his mother
calls him on Bluetooth – he promises to
deadening his eyes, looking away before Elordi is suspicious of his fandom, in part call her back. As he drives, he leans back in
saying anything. (Uaaahhh!) because of the militant humility Australia his seat. When he misses an exit, he
He answers the question politely, enforces on its citizens. It’s “tall-poppy exclaims, “Damn, missed the turn-off!”
but he speaks coolly – I’ve pried/ syndrome,” he says. You can be successful, but But he doesn’t seem overly stressed about
overstepped/intruded. you shouldn’t be too successful or do too much it. There’s an Australianism that Elordi
to put yourself in the public eye. particularly likes: She’ll be right, mate.
“She handles herself wonderfully I ask him to use it in a sentence. He
publicly,” he says of Gerber, “and I’ve “The principle of it is nice,” he says. “It demonstrates with dialogue.
learned so much from her about helps me check myself a lot of the time and
how to handle it, how to deal with it make sure that my head is not, you know, the “Oh, how are you feeling?”
and just kind of be whatever about it, size of an air balloon. But at the same time, “I’m upset.”
you know?” sometimes it can be quite crippling, because “Ah, she’ll be right, mate.”
you don’t want to accept any of the praise or He whooshes down the Pacific Coast
“Handling it” is relative when you’re good things that come from the work.” Highway toward the city he currently calls
the sort of actor who attracts tabloid home, the ocean dark beyond the road.
clicks and, often, acerbic speculation COVID has made it difficult for Elordi He’s young and talented and he’s figuring it
about your relationships. In September out. She’ll be right, mate.

E L O R D I 40:20 WHENITCOMESTOTRAINING,JACOBELORDIMOVESFAST.HEWORKSOUTFIVEDAYSAWEEK,DOINGFULL-
BODY SESSIONS THAT GIVE
DIRECTIONS: DO EACH MO

ILLUSTRATION: BEN MOUNSEYWOOD TYRE FLIP BATTLE R BALL SLAM PLANK UP
JUMPING JACK
Squat in front of a tyre and, keeping your Hold a med ball at your chest, then raise Start in an elbow plank, abs and glutes
Holding a battle rope in each hand, begin to do it overhead, arching your back and rising tight. Place your right hand on the floor
core tight, explosively lift the tyre and push onto your tiptoes. Slam it down, bending and press up; do the same on the left.
jumping jacks. Instead of clapping your hands your knees and pushing your butt back. Lower to your elbows. Do another rep, this
it over. Run to the other side of it and repeat.
above your head, though, raise your arms so Grab the ball and repeat. time leading with the left.
No tyre? Do kettlebell swings instead.
they’re just higher than parallel to the floor. FEBRUARY 2022 77

FITNESS

78 MEN’S HE ALTH

MIND

We all need to shatter
the myth that men’s
insecurity is taboo.

Male body image is an under-reported and overlooked
subject. A deleterious combination of cultural influences,
competitive instincts and a conspiracy of silence can often
mean that the pressure to look good or perform better is
keenly felt, yet rarely discussed. Our experiences may vary,
but few of us are immune to harm. It’s time to self-reflect

BY JAMIE MILLAR
ILLUSTRATION BY PETER CROW THER

FEBRUARY 2022 79

S THAT WHAT A MAN LOOKS LIKE?” As a 45%
16-year-old boy, I didn’t really think about this
question – posed by the narrator in Fight Club, while of you have felt like your sex life or your
sizing up an advert for men’s underwear – because I relationships have been negatively
was preoccupied with trying to look like Brad Pitt. I impacted by your body image.
did, however, think about how doing so might make
me more attractive to girls.

If you were to ask me where my interest in
working out came from, that’s probably how I’d
answer. But if I really think about it, my obsession with
body image was born much earlier. A child of the 1980s,
I grew up watching He-Man cartoons and reading
superhero comics, which inspired in me an admiration for
physiques that couldn’t exist in real life. When I was old
enough, my dad would let me stay up to watch Arnie films,
which presented me with physiques that could exist in real
life thanks only to pharmaceutical assistance.
An ex-soldier turned mechanic, my dad was into
motorbikes and tattoos, not working out. He wasn’t a big
guy, but he wouldn’t back down from one either. He worked
with his hands and settled arguments with his fists. He
was not like other dads, nor I like him. He took me to my
football matches and instructed me to take the man (or the
eight-year-old boy in this case) instead of the ball. To be
hard. Nearly three decades later, I’m still trying. Or maybe
it would be more accurate to say compensating.
The question of male body image is multi-layered,
sometimes paradoxical. It’s a superficial subject that
goes to the core of who we are, who we want to be, who
we wish we weren’t. We externally manifest values that,
somewhere along the line, we’ve internalised.
Some aspirational figures loom large, from films, TV
and, yes, magazines: nearly 60 per cent of respondents to
Men’s Health’s anonymous survey professed a desire to be
“lean and athletic”. But there is no one ideal male body.
Some men value aesthetics and some performance, some
size and some slenderness. And there is no one answer to
the question of where those ideals come from, even though
nearly 87 per cent agreed – 38 per cent strongly – that
social media has put men under pressure to maintain
a ‘perfect’ physique. Whatever that is.
In the eight years I’ve written for Men’s Health, this
is the hardest thing I’ve ever worked on. Hearing and
reading the stories, I felt mixed emotions. Sympathy for
what they’ve been through. Regret for what I have. Relief
that I’m not a 16-year-old boy in the age of social media.
That said, discussion of body image doesn’t have to be
overwhelmingly negative. It can be positive, regardless of
your shape and size. Like the case studies here, my body
image has, at points, contributed to personal satisfaction
and professional success. It has also, at points, made me
unhappy. The relationship status is: it’s complicated. The
line between inspiration and compulsion is a fine one. But
social media is not inherently evil. Nor are magazines.
They can use their influence for good. And a body of
science speaks to the physical and mental health benefits
of exercise and eating well.
You don’t have to change. What does is the statistic
that 33 per cent of you rarely talk about your issues with
poor body image or low self-esteem; 44 per cent never.
Let’s join the conversation.

80 MEN’S HE ALTH

MIND

1 The Physique
Competitor

KYLE GREEN, 29, is a personal trainer,
coach and bodybuilder

I MUST’VE BEEN about eight. Someone – it
could’ve been a distant male relation – flexed
his biceps and motioned, “This is what you
can get one day, if you want it”.

My dad wasn’t always around, but I
gathered by the size of him that he must’ve
gone to the gym. We have a Jamaican
background and we always talked about being
strong, eating good, solid food.

As a child, I remember playing the Disney
Hercules computer game and being gripped
by all the things he could do. It just struck a
chord with me: maybe one day I could be
super-strong and admired by many people.

At high school, it was always about having
a six-pack in the changing rooms. I started
doing push-ups every day. I seemed to get
quite a few eyes. So that was good for the
ego, I guess.

When I was 17, I got my first job in the
stock room of a department store. I was
determined to build muscle. I trained at a gym
across the road five days a week and brought
in two tins of tuna and four slices of buttered
bread every day for lunch. I managed to see
changes, which was great.

I found a job as a PT at the back end of a
period of depression. A lot of things came into
play: family life, bereavements. At the time, I
wasn’t that interested in getting clients. I just
wanted to feel better. I knew that, if I could
exercise consistently, I’d see massive
changes. I wouldn’t feel so much of a failure.

I’m very results-orientated. The standard
of my physique is always at the forefront of my
mind. I’m known in the industry for my muscle
density, so I feel pressure to maintain that.

I see my body as a trophy of my
accomplishments. I’m in the process of
prepping for a [bodybuilding] qualifier which,
if I win, will take me to America. I remember
my coach saying that in about four years I
could win the Men’s Physique Olympia: the
top, top show in the world. If he’s said it to me,
I believe I can do it.

FEBRUARY 2022 81

2 The Mould- 86%
Breaking Model
of you feel that men are under just as
BEN WHIT, 29, is one of the world’s first much pressure to look good
plus-size male models as women are.

I USED TO JOKE around with my partner at the 1in 3
time: “I could be a model”. As you do. One day,
she got me a photo shoot through Groupon. The sometimes ‘compensate’
woman at the studio suggested I build a profile for extra kilojoules by
on a website called StarNow. I thought I’d give purging or over-exercising.
it a go, as a bit of a laugh. Then Bridge Models
were looking for a man 2XL or above. So, I Reflections Of The Mind
applied. Before that, I was a builder. I still do
my day job. I’m a truck driver now. We asked thousands of Q What’s your ideal STATISTICS BASED ON 40004300 INSTAGRAM POLL RESPONSES AND 1000 SURVEY RESPONSES
you to tell us how you feel body type?
At my first shoot, I was nervous. We went about your body. Despite • Broad and muscular 19%
through 70 or 80 outfits. That’s a different type most of you confessing • Lean and athletic 59%
of graft. I’ve done fit work with Calvin Klein in that self-image isn’t often • Slim, but not ripped 11%
Amsterdam. I’ve been to Dubai, Switzerland. a talking point, it seems • None or other 11%
I did six weeks in Greece for a TV show you have a lot to get off
called Naked Beach, which was all about your chests Q Which of the following has
body confidence. put pressure on you to
control your body shape?
I haven’t always been confident. My hair was
thinning at a really young age. I struggled with • A desire to look good for my
that for years, trying to comb it over. Since my
partner told me to shave it off a couple of years partner or potential partners 77%
ago, I’ve felt liberated.
• Competitiveness among
My group of mates are quite manly. A lot of
them do manual work, straight down the pub on my peers 36%
a Friday night. They don’t talk about their
feelings. A couple of years ago, I asked one of • Concerns about prejudice at
them, “How do you feel about yourself?” I don’t
think he knew what to say. Since then, my mates my workplace 21%
will sometimes text me and say, “I’m feeling a bit
down about this . . .” I said, “Look, you’ve got to
be happy in yourself first before trying to make
other people happy”.

Men message me about hair loss: “Do you
think I should shave it off?” Or they come to me
and say, “I can’t find clothes that look nice on me
– do you think this will suit me?” Even if you can
just make one person feel better, to me, that
means more than anything.

I believe that, with more men representing
the ‘normal’ male body, other men who look like
that will start to think, If he’s doing that as a job,
then actually there’s not much wrong with me.

82 MEN’S HE ALTH

MIND

1in 4 3The Competitive
Strongman
admit that you sometimes
restrict your food intake to ADAM LAVERICK, 38, is a PT and strongman
at Active Body Conditioning
an unhealthy degree.
MY DAD was a larger-than-life character. He was
Q Q 6ft 2in (188cm) and, as a small child looking up
about what others think idea of ‘body positivity’? at this mountain of a man, he was quite
of your appearance? • It’s a good thing 68% intimidating. But he was a pillar of strength.
• Constantly 32% • It’s unhelpful 32% When Christmas rolled around, I’d see the
• Occasionally 46% strongmen on telly. My dad had a big beard,
• Rarely 16% Q Which of the following is so I drew a parallel between them and him.
• Never 6% most important to you?
• How my body looks 53% At 12, I was 12st (76kg). At 13, I was 13st
Q Has your body image • How my body performs 47% (83kg). I’ve battled with obesity issues for the
ever impacted your majority of my life. And up until six years ago, I’d
mental health? 80% of you feel like your body always strived to have that aesthetic physique
• Yes 69% that everyone seeks out. I tried the bodybuilding
• No 31% shape forms a crucial part of diet. It was only when I stopped focusing on
your identity. aesthetics and started focusing on performance
that my physique really changed.

I went to watch a powerlifting competition.
I saw the camaraderie backstage . . . I just
thought, “I’d love to be a part of this”. I got in
touch with a friend who started coaching me.
As long as I fitted into the weight category, it was
just a case of “get as strong as you can”. I
competed at the national level twice and
qualified for a third time.

It’s said that comparison is the thief of joy.
All my life, I’ve compared myself with others, from
celebrities to the fittest guy in the gym. And I
was miserable as a result. After [taking up
powerlifting], I noticed that a lot of that anxiety
was gone.

I switched to strongman because I wanted to
pull a truck. The more I get into the sport, the
more I research different training methods and
body mechanics, I realise there’s a lot of
untapped potential. When I first started working
as a PT, it was young men who came to me,
wanting to get bigger. But with the knowledge
that I was able to demonstrate, I managed to get
a client base that was more diverse. One client is
a wheelchair basketball player who was born
with cerebral palsy. He’s one of the hardest-
working young men I’ve ever seen.

I’m aware of my size, my stature, which is why
I try to adjust the way I come across. It’s amazing
how disarming a smile can be.

FEBRUARY 2022 83

FITNESS

59%

of you have felt unfairly judged
based on your body shape.

Self-reflection and
honesty will help keep

mind and body well.

84 MEN’S HE ALTH

MIND

4The Endurance 2 in3 5 The Reformed
Athlete Crash Dieter
of you have been hurt by
OSCAR MINGAY, 21, is a former Wales a comment a friend or TAREK SHUHAIBAR, 33, is a sports
Racing Academy cyclist nutritionist and PT
family member has made
I WAS ALWAYS riding a bike alongside the about your body. I WAS AN overweight teenager. For years, I was
normal stuff you do as a kid: football, rugby. But bullied due to my size. I hated buying clothes
it wasn’t until after 2012, when I was 13, that I 78% and the idea of going on holiday and potentially
started to take it more seriously. Bradley Wiggins having to go topless made me a nervous wreck.
won the Tour de France, and then the way British of you rarely or never talk to your I spent a good six years feeling this way. It wasn’t
cycling went at the Olympics, I was just like, “Oh friends about body image until the summer of 2003, when I was visiting
wow, this is something I really want to do”. and self-esteem. family in Egypt, that I decided to make a change.
I was taking a shower and feeling frustrated by
As a kid, I suffered with anxiety issues and I 58% the size of my belly. So, I decided enough was
fixated on staying small. People told me, “If you enough and put myself on a diet. I had no idea
lose weight, you’ll be faster”. At higher-up levels of you have worried that a male what I was doing. I went almost zero-carb and
as a junior cyclist, there’s a lot of conversation friend’s eating or exercise habits ate a crazy amount of protein. It did the trick, I
about how much you weigh. If you’re sub 50kg, lost more than 12kg in three months.
you’re a god. If you’re plus 60kg, you’re fat. You’re were becoming unhealthy.
a unit. Initially, my confidence grew tenfold. I made
new friends. Girls actually wanted to talk to me
On training days, I’d have a bowl of porridge and thought I was attractive, which was a big
and take three bars on my ride, though I’d try not thing for me. I still had no idea what I was doing
to eat them all. The last hour, I’d be really in the gym, jumping from one workout to the
light-headed. Then I’d get home, have a recovery next. I was a bit scatty with my nutrition, too, so
drink and sleep until tea. Because if I was kind of looked okay but didn’t really feel great.
asleep, I wasn’t eating.
I became a PT after finishing a law degree,
I used to wake up late at night, go downstairs which led me to become a bit obsessive,
and open the fridge to stare at the food. But I because I felt I had to look a certain way due
wouldn’t touch it – until I started bingeing. I’d feel to my job. My body image strained relationships
so sick. And I wouldn’t even have to make myself with partners. I would worry about eating and
throw up, because my stomach had decreased. drinking with them because I was afraid of letting
It was horrendous. myself go. On a trip to Disneyland with an ex, I
refused to eat anything because I didn’t know
I had a conversation with my dad. There were how much protein it had in it. I realised it had
a lot of tears. That’s when we went to see [sports started to damage my mental health.
and eating disorder specialist] Renee McGregor.
I don’t think I’d be here right now if it wasn’t for The last few years have been much better. I
her. She helped me to understand that I’m not no longer care if I miss the odd gym session
Oscar the cyclist who weighs so much: I’m because I know I won’t get ‘fat’. I no longer worry
Oscar the person. about how many calories are in a drink or meal
out. It’s taken time to get to this place, mentally.
In 2019, I was told by Welsh Cycling that they
weren’t going to keep me on. Because cycling My last relationship was a catalyst in
had been my life, it very much flipped it upside improving my body image. I learned to place
down. I thought, I’ll try to get a ride with a team. less importance on having to look ‘perfect’. I
Then I was like, No, this really isn’t for me know just how important it is to work on your
any more. mental health, as well as your physical health.

Now, I have a job in the fire service. Other If you, or someone you know, is struggling with
than that, I’m just skating and surfing. Being their mental health, chat to a medical
out in the water on my board brings me a professional and call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
lot of happiness.

FEBRUARY 2022 85

Bright ideas
for sober minds.

Whether you’re intending to make a dry start to the year or simply
want to make some strategic cutbacks, deploy these tips to put a cork

in stress and keep your spirits up at the end of a (very) long day

BY SCARLETT WRENCH
86 MEN’S HE ALTH

H E A LT H

Laugh your way
to lower stress.

1 MAKE TIME TO VENT 3
Office drinks play an
important role in helping you Enjoy Some Funny Business
decompress, says Dru Jaeger,
co-founder of the mindful Laughter might not be the best medicine – but it could be the new
drinking group Club Soda. meditation. According to Loma Linda University, a good LOL
Deprive yourself of a chance to produces gamma waves, the same high-frequency brainwaves
vent and frustration will build up. produced when you’re omming and ahhing. In fact, even the
Start an after-work run club anticipation of a laugh can reduce our stress hormones. An
instead; set up a WhatsApp chat expertly crafted comedy special is your tonic, no gin required.
so you can coordinate plans
(and despair about the latest
budget cuts while you’re there).
As well as an opportunity to
offload, it’ll provide a reason to
shut your laptop on time.

2 SEE THE
GREEN LIGHT

An active ingredient in 5 FIND YOUR CALM 7 DO THE WRITE
Alcohol fuels anxious THING
green tea, L-theanine has

a similar effect on the brain though Stuck in a loop of rumination and

to alcohol. It influences neurotransm overanalysis? “Instead of

to a next-day pa reaching for a drink, reach for a

ress can help yo pen,” says Freddie Bennett,

in says Jaeg addict turned ultrarunner and

0 m hour, author of The Sober Survival host of Over The Influence

ay even e good Guide, r podcast. “Scribble non-stop for

ep. Brew a coup of decaf app, wi ress plans, 10 minutes. No plan, no strategy.

eabags overnight, then and In You’ll get all that random shit out

serve chilled with ice and 100k of your head and maybe discover

a squeeze of lemon (this why you were anxious in the first

improves absorption). 4 BECOME A 6 REMIX YOUR place.” And unlike a confidant at
EPHILE SCHEDULE
the office Christmas party, a

Many people have misgivings M journal won’t remind you what

about going out alone. According drinking routine, so note down you let slip tomorrow.

the Journal of Consumer the moments when you’re most

Research, people are less likely to reach for a glass, says

confident engaging in hedonic Jaeger. Always end up at the

(fun) activities alone than they pub when you cross paths with a

are utilitarian (boring but useful) certain colleague? Pre-book a

ones. However, researchers meal or gym class on those days.

found when we do immerse Do you cap off your Sunday 10k

ourselves in a film or art with a beer? Head out earlier and

exhibition solo, it benefits mental reroute to a cafe instead. It’ll

wellbeing. You have better taste spare you the added stress of

than your friends, anyway. practising self-control.

FEBRUARY 2022 87

11 HAVE A SOAK 13 GO BACK TO 14 FIND YOUR FLOW
Try a different kind of liquid THE EIGHTIES Being ‘in the zone’ is a
refreshment. When researchers biological phenomenon, in
at the University of Freiburg in Nostalgia is a powerful intoxicant; which breathing deepens, heart
Germany assigned people with rate slows and dopamine is
depressive symptoms to either a study in the journal Emotion released. “The key is finding
soak in warm water for half an what really lights you up,” says
hour and then wrap themselves found it made subjects perceive Chapple. “I ask people to reflect
in blankets, or do 40-45 minutes on when they were a child and
of aerobic exercise, those taking air temperature as warmer and what activities would cause
regular baths fared better. Add
sleep-inducing magnesium salts. more comfortable. Rewatching o lose track
It’ll knock you out faster than your because
third glass of Shiraz. favourite movies also provides d
e so
“emotional regulation”, report ed.” That
be
American University researchers, g from
ng
delivering the soothing o
ng or
satisfaction of killer quips your
and.
8 10 PROP UP without the uncertainty of an
THE BARBELL
unknown narrative. Revisit

Exercise is an obvious way to Arnie’s oeuvre.

decompress. “I recommend

jumping jacks to people when

they’re experiencing cravings,”

says Chapple. But of course what

works for one man won’t

necessarily work for the next. Our

(former) drinker’s guide can help:

If your social life 15 GIVE YOURSELF
centres on the pub… GOOSEBUMPS
sign up with a club
or sports team That chill you feel at the
Trail running? Fencing?
Five-a-side? Wherever your crescendo of a favourite song is
interests lie, don’t do it alone. “I
joined a local running club,” says a sign that your brain is pumping
Chapple. “It enabled me to meet
new friends, as well as keeping
me accountable.”

out the pleasure chemical

If you just want to Learn to last dopamine, which is also
zone out for a bit… longer in bed.
try low-intensity cardio released by alcohol. A spine-
or yoga 12
Working out for 30 minutes at 40 tingling song can lift our levels
per cent of your max reduces
levels of the stress hormone by 9 per cent, reports Nature
cortisol in healthy men, reports
the University of North Carolina. Neuroscience, while tapping
A meditative run or ride will help
you to decompress. into your body’s awe response

– proven to elevate wellbeing.

It also provides a valid reason

pg y y

If you drink to forget Switch Off Sooner
(how stressed you are)…
try boxing or CrossFit Nothing good happens after midnight, as
“More vigorous exercise often the saying goes. On weekdays, the same
works better,” says Chapple; might be said of 9pm. When in doubt, turn in
it delivers the endorphin early. You don’t need to go the ‘full Wahlberg’
equivalent of overproof rum. with your schedule, but by shifting your
The University of New England sleep-wake times to 9.30pm to 5.30am, you
found that high-intensity training free up your mornings for stuff you actually
is, weirdly, a very good way to plan to do – mastering a muscle-up,
avoid burnout. repainting the bathroom – and your nights
for, well . . . sleeping.

88 MEN’S HE ALTH

H E A LT H

20 ELEVATE YOUR
MEAL PREP

Despite what Kitchen

Nightmares might suggest,

sharpening your culinary skills

can be therapeutic. A study in

the Journal of Positive

Psychology found that people

who frequently take on small,

creative challenges – such as

testing out a new recipe – feel

more content and relaxed. Not

feeling it tonight? Shake off lard

with a shake instead. Try Bioslim

VLCD Shake SlimBiome for a

16 19 RESTOCK quick protein hit (bioslim.net.au)
YOUR FRIDGE

Kicking back with a cold one

is a stress-busting ritual in its own right: Get into a green
state of mind.
a Journal of Consumer Psychology

study found that people experiencing

heated emotions such as anger

or frustration feel calmer when 22

holding a chilled glass. Fill yours with

one of these low-to-no-alcohol

thirst-quenchers:

Hawkesbury Brewing Co 21 ADAPT AND THRIVE Get Your Hands Dirty
Prohibition Pale Ale ‘Adaptogen’ is one of the
A bright, full bodied ale with citrus latest buzzwords in supplements, A plant-based lifestyle has benefits
characters and a tropical finish. referring to herbs that bolster – gardening, we mean. According to a
your resistance to everyday study from Chiba University in Japan,
PHOTOGRAPHY: ROWAN FEE; JOBE LAWRENSON; STUDIO 33; JULIAN BENJAMIN; PHILIP HAYNES; DAVID NEWTON; DAN Sobah Lemon Aspen Pilsner stresses. Two of the most simply looking at flowers reduces blood
MATTHEWS; GETTY IMAGES. ARTWORK: PETER CROWTHER. ILLUSTRATIONS: NORMA BAR; BEN MOUNSEY WOOD Based on a Czech pale ale, this tasty common are rhodiola rosea and pressure and heart rate, while lowering
drop is rich in vitamins A and C. ashwagandha. The former has levels of oxyhaemoglobin in the brain’s
been linked to reductions in prefrontal cortex, which induces
Remedy Kombucha Ginger Lemon mental fatigue and burnout; the relaxation. Better still, studies show that
A no sugar, guilt free take on ginger b latter is believed to have an anti- exposure to harmless mud bacteria called
anxiety effect. They also work mycobacterium vaccae has an
well together, so look for supps antidepressant effect.
that pack both.
23 …OR JUST GO TO THE PUB
“You’re taking a break from alcohol, not from life,”
says Bennett. Tempted by a night out? He advises calling
venues ahead to talk through their non-alcoholic options.
Anticipating potential problems will stop you making an
impulsive decision under pressure. It needn’t be all or
nothing, either. Jaeger suggests starting your evening with
two alcohol-free beers. “Then, if you do switch to

swap out every other pint.” You’ll still
game.

Naked Life Virgin Margarita
Crafted with Tahitian Lime and Murray
River sea salt for a tart, citrusy margarita.

FEBRUARY 2022 89

CBdsLasBYptboaAHAueoNmsNdekMuRAdsieKtnIAttAobTSabhHvutEaRiRPeiislInlrNlCAdsE’gstCeiUUhLOnpaEeMSlgLsleMdolOsno,ANntGLntSrLy–gueEPHDnoBaaOhTfgnrOaRRGd(tRdumAhO,PIlHthD,,YeuNsBteYacoGtaAcahNoJdhTEAm)HeiOy,dnMNioiYngsbBuaELyauAnaSlSsgKrnOeeadarnddy

90 MEN’S HE ALTH

FITNESS

At 36 years old, Chris
Paul is playing his best
basketball: he led the
Phoenix Suns to the NBA
finals last season.

FEBRUARY 2022 91

GET CP3’S JOURNEY with sharpshooting from P. J. Tucker, 36, OPPOSITE, FROM TOP: GREG NELSON/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED VIA GETTY IMAGES; ©2017 NBAE/ANDREW D.
TO DURABILITY and in Milwaukee, the Bucks are counting BERNSTEIN/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES; ©2021 NBAE/BARRY GOSSAGE/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES
STRONGER on steely defense from George Hill, 35.
2005–09 The Brooklyn Nets expect big things from
AND big men LaMarcus Aldridge, 36, and Paul
Paul rarely missed time his first four years, Millsap, also 36. Out west, LeBron James,
SMARTER averaging 75 regular-season games played. 36, is hoping a quartet of over-35 role players
(Carmelo Anthony, 37; Trevor Ariza, 36;
LIKE 2010–19 Dwight Howard, 36; and Rajon Rondo, 35)
can help him return the Lakers to glory.
CHRIS PAUL Then came injuries. Hamstring woes and other
issues limited him to an average of 65 games A decade ago, all these guys would have
CHRIS PAUL isn’t sure he wants you to know per season in his next decade. been labelled over-the-hill. After all, just
his secrets. The way he sees it, the less anyone twice in the league’s 75-year history has
knows about his eating plan, the better. He’s 2019–21 the NBA MVP been 35 or older – Michael
not sure he wants to talk about the deadlift Jordan in 1998 and Karl Malone in 1999.
tweak that helped him end years of hamstring Paul rebounded to play 70 games per season But a recent wellness revolution has
woes or his personal telltale sign that his body for the past two years. Last season, he made transformed all sports and kept marquee
needs more water. “Sometimes I almost wish his first NBA finals with the Suns. stars winning titles long after their ‘primes’
I didn’t tell anybody,” Paul says. “I don’t need were over (see: Brady, Tom, Federer, Roger
everybody to feel this way.” and Williams, Serena). That revolution has
reached a crescendo this NBA season, which
But Paul understands why you’d want to just may be defined by its oldsters.
know. After all, the once-brittle point guard
has suddenly emerged as one of the NBA’s It helps that front offices have embraced
most reliable players and he’s coming off a the concept of load management, cutting
dominant season, a year that saw him lead player minutes to enhance on-court
the Phoenix Suns to within two games of productivity. And NBA players, like many
the championship. athletes, increasingly build their lives
around wellness, taking their diets and
Somehow, at age 36 and after 16 gruelling recovery regimens into their own hands,
years as a pro, Paul has actually become hiring private trainers and purchasing
faster, stronger and more durable. Three high-tech recovery gear (think NormaTec
years ago, after he had a rough season with compression boots, which are revered
the Houston Rockets, some wondered whether around the league) to use at home.
Paul might be done. Today? “I probably feel “They invest in all the different recovery
better now than I did some years ago,” he says. modalities,” says Jim Scholler, head athletic
“I’m at a point now where I can’t imagine trainer for the Pistons, who’s been in the
not playing.” league since 2008. “They have dedicated
health-care professionals who work with
Not that he’s the lone old-timer saying them in the off-season. And they have
that. Yes, stars like Zion Williamson (21 years strong routines.”
old), Luka Dončić (22), and Rockets rook Jalen
Green (all of 19) might lead you to believe that Paul’s transformation is proof. In seven
basketball is a young man’s game. But this of his first 14 seasons, a Sprite-guzzling,
season, a host of geezers is changing that, gym-rat version of Paul failed to play 70
representing all men 35 and over. regular-season games. But over the past
two years, he’s turned his body into a
In Miami, the Heat have handed their 24/7 lifestyle, hiring a chef, a deep-tissue
offense to point man Kyle Lowry, who’s 35, specialist and a biomechanics trainer.
Since then, he’s played 70-plus games in
92 MEN’S HE ALTH back-to-back seasons. (He’s aiming for three
straight 70-game campaigns for the first
time in his career this season.) And last
July, he appeared in his first career NBA
finals. Just three days after that, following
a season that saw him play in 90 games,
he was FaceTiming with trainer Donnie
Raimon to beg for a workout.

Paul no longer views his training and
diet as a chore.

“I dove deeper into it,” he says. “And it
became about more than just athletics. It’s
a way of life.”

FITNESS

AGE SHALL NOT WEARY HIM Paul believes diet spent the early part of his career downing soft
is key to everything: drink after every game. Then he served as a
The fitness awakening began three “The one thing you do co-executive producer on The Game Changers,
Decembers ago, in 2018. Paul was already every day is you eat.” the Netflix doc on plant-based eating. “When
midway through a disastrous season with I learned that food should be fuel for your
Houston, a campaign in which he would log functioning correctly. When he attempted body,” he says, “that is when it changed
a career low in points per game (15.6) while a deadlift, a key move for building hamstring for me.”
playing just 58 games. And he’d just suffered and glute power, he started the movement
the fifth hamstring strain of his career. by squatting down instead of pushing his By year’s end, he’d hired a personal chef,
butt backward. Aaron Clayton, and was viewing his body
That led him to fly to Miami and visit as a finely tuned machine. “Everything that
DBC Fitness and Raimon. Paul wasn’t new Once Raimon corrected that, Paul was you do is an investment,” Paul says. “One of
to training, having consistently lifted under hooked. They continued working together the first things I tell young guys is that they
the guidance of team strength coaches. that off-season. By last season, Raimon was should invest in a chef. I say that because
But Raimon offered something different. programing all of Paul’s workouts, even the one thing you do every day is you eat.”
He’d worked with James and Dwyane Wade sending instructions to the Suns’ staff. He Paul can’t remember the last time he had
during the Miami Heat’s championship attended every Phoenix playoff game, taking a soft drink; he stopped drinking them in
heyday, and DBC, which he co-owns, Paul through a 15-minute warm-up. “It’s just part because he’s now obsessed with quality
had developed a rep for a detail-oriented attention to detail as far as weight training, hydration. He drinks plant-based protein
approach to training. “When we start the way my body moves,” Paul says of shakes and smoothies from Koia (he’s an
working with someone,” Raimon says, “our Raimon’s approach. “I think my body moves investor in the company) and regularly chugs
goal is to make them the best-functioning a lot more efficiently than it used to.” He adds coconut water. And when he wakes up in
human being they can be.” that there’s no such thing as off-season now. the morning and heads to the bathroom, he
Sure, he might not actually play basketball always checks the colour of his urine; deep
And Paul’s hamstrings weren’t for two months, but he’s always training and yellow sends him straight to his fridge. “If I
“making sure my body is right”. wake up [and] my urine ain’t the right colour,
I go guzzle a bottle of water,” he says. “You
Paul blended his newly detailed fitness gotta know your body.”
approach with a nuanced food strategy. He’d
Clayton, meanwhile, does his best to
keep Paul’s diet full of flavour. He’s gotten
creative, too, delivering plant-based, gluten-
free fried Oreos (“fun,” the chef says) and a
vegan, gluten-free brownie and cookie bar
that several Suns are now hooked on. “At first
my teammates were like, ‘You’re eating grass,
eating that bird food,’ and I laugh and it’s
cool,” Paul says. “But they see what I’m doing.”

Paul believes going plant-based
helped reduce whole-body inflammation,
eliminating the aches he used to battle. Years
ago, he’d sit in a cold tub or ice his knees after
every single game. He hasn’t done that in
years. He’s rarely sore the day after he lifts
weights. So he can train with Raimon more
often – and dominate NBA young guns on the
court on back-to-back nights, when needed.
“A tonne of guys can be really good on Monday
night and drop 35, but how good can you be on
Tuesday?” Paul says. “And now you gotta play
on Thursday? Can you be good on Friday?”

Paul’s body has proved over the past two
years that it can handle that challenge. And
that leaves him unprepared for just one thing:
retirement. He says he’ll know when it’s time
to go. But for now, why not relish morphing
into the NBA’s fittest player? “That’s where
I’m so grateful,” he says. “A lot of guys who
were my teammates are coaches now. I feel so
blessed to still get the opportunity to play.”

– Anna Katherine Clemmons writes about sports and culture for
ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and The New York Times and is an

assistant professor of media studies at the University of Virginia.

FEBRUARY 2022 93

MORE CARVE
TRAINING AND YOUR
NUTRITION TIPS CORE

FROM THE LIKE
NBA’S OLD
RAJON
GUARD RONDO

RECHARGE YOUR AT186CM (AND A SPINDLY 81KG), 1 AB WHEEL ROLLOUT 2 HANGING KNEE-UP
MUSCLES RONDO WON’T BE SETTING ANY Get on all fours, hips directly over Hang from a pull-up bar with
WEIGHTLIFTING RECORDS. BUT your knees, hands on an ab wheel, an overhand grip, shoulder blades
LIKE TAJ GIBSON wrists in line with shoulders. Your abs squeezed, abs tight, legs slightly in
THE LAKERS’ BACK-UP POINT should be tight. Without letting your front of you. Squeeze your abs, raising
WHEN HE BROKE INTO THE LEAGUE GUARD, 35, HAS BUILT A back arch, roll the wheel forward as far your bent knees towards your chest;
IN 2009, GIBSON DIDN’T TRAIN as you can. Pause. Exhale and squeeze pause, then lower. That’s 1 rep; do 3
ROCK-SOLID CORE AND IT’S your abs. Roll back to the start. That’s 1 sets of 6-8.
SMARTLY. BUT THESE DAYS, AT 36, HE BEEN KEY TO HIS 15 SEASONS IN rep; do 3 sets of 8-10.
FOCUSES ON RECOVERY WHEN HE’S
NOT BATTLING IN THE PAINT FOR THE THE LEAGUE. CRITICAL
STRENGTH IN HIS HIPS, ABS AND
NEW YORK KNICKS. USE HIS
RECOVERY TIPS TO KEEP YOUR GLUTES HELPS RONDO STAY
MUSCLES AND JOINTS STRONG BALANCED WHEN HE’S GLUING

CONTRAST BATH HIMSELF TO TOP OFFENSIVE
PLAYERS AND ENABLES HIM
After a game, Gibson starts with 2 TO TAKE A POUNDING WHEN
s HE VENTURES INTO THE PAINT.
HE TRAINS CORE BEFORE EVERY
to 3 minutes in a steam room. He
repeats that sequence 3-4 times, GAME, RELYING ON
THESE MOVES
e
nt LIKE
ood
flow, speeding recovery. LEBRON JAMES

BODYWEIGHT THE
BAND CAMP INTEN

d WHY
ting FUEL
ni band A CO
nees.
our right W
rt; repeat C
of 12-15 ANTIOXIDANTS TO HELP HIM STAVE OFF
once a day.
INFLAMMATION, SAYS MIKE MANCIAS,
JAMES’S TRAINER

94 MEN’S HE ALTH

FITNESS

BEN MOUNSEYWOOD (ILLUSTRATIONS). ©2020 NBAE/DAVID LIAM KYLE/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES (GIBSON). ©2021 NBAE/MICHAEL GONZALES/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES REBOOT MENTALLY FORGE
(RONDO). KEITH BIRMINGHAM/MEDIANEWS GROUP/PASADENA STARNEWS VIA GETTY IMAGES (JAMES). AP PHOTO/MARK J. TERRILL (HILL). ©2021 NBAE/ADAM PANTOZ EXPLOSIVENESS
ZI/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES (ANTHONY). SMOOTHIE: PHOTOGRAPH BY PAOLA + MURRAY. FOOD STYLING: OLIVIA MACK MCCOOL. PROP STYLING: PAIGE HICKS. LIKE
LIKE
GEORGE HILL
CARMELO ANTHONY
THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS GUARD, 35, REMEMBERS BREAKING
INTO THE LEAGUE IN 2008, STRUGGLING THROUGH A BAD ANTHONY, 37, HAS TAPPED INTO UNDISCOVERED
EXPLOSIVENESS IN HIS NBA TWILIGHT, THANKS TO TRAINER
SHOOTING NIGHT AND BATTLING THE DEMONS OF THAT GAME
FOR DAYS. THESE DAYS, THE VET HAS A HOST OF COPING CURTIS SHANNON, WHOM HE MET IN 2018. THE SECRET:
MECHANISMS. ADD THEM TO YOUR MENTAL TOOLBOX AND LOW-REP MOVES THAT FOCUS ON POWER
WORK WILL NEVER KEEP YOU DOWN
1 TRAP BAR MID-THIGH PULL
EVERY DAY . . . Place an empty trap bar in a squat rack,
s
“I try to walk as much as possible in nature. I think keeping your y
legs moving and getting out and breathing the fresh air outside d
T
is probably my most important thing.”

AFTER A GAME . . .

“[I focus] on what makes me happy at home: watching things on
TV together, being present with loved ones.”

AFTER THE SEASON . . .

“I try to take a month off, clear my mind, take
vacation with the family.”

SHAKE IT UP 2 TRAP BAR DEADLIFT eight.
s
LeBron’s post-lift shake is loaded with to the floor. That’s 1 rep; do 3 sets of 3. ghten
the nutrients you need after a workout. he bar
In a blender, combine . . .
3V
1 whole banana S
1 handful Kale should
180 ml cherry juice butt ba
180 ml Almond milk Then e
1 scoop LADDER plant-based can; yo
protein powder, chocolate do 3 se
2 TBSP peanut butter
5 strawberries
. . . Then blend until smooth.
Your macros: 37g protein, 84g carbs, 22g fat

FEBRUARY 2022 95

The ultimate guide to
do-gooderism that will help
you help others and, yes,
sure, okay, yourself, too

ILLUSTRATION BY HUSTON WILSON

96 MEN’S HE ALTH

TACTICS

FEBRUARY 2022 97

SOMETHING COACH KIDS PHOTOGRAPHY: CAROLINE MARDOK
KIND OF
AMAZING WAY BEYOND

happened when we asked readers of SPORTS
Men’s Health, via social, “Who is your
personal real-life superhero?” No one CELEBRITIES
chose a politician. Very few picked an CHANGING LIVES!
athlete. Only one reader posted a GIF
of The Rock. The vast majority of the Not all of them are buying (yet another) mansion
nearly 400 responses we collected in the Hamptons. These musicians, actors and
cited someone close to them – a athletes are doing good in inspiring ways
parent, a child, a spouse – as a source
of their inspiration. Read a handful of
them and you’ll notice a common
characteristic: a powerful sense of
doing good.

You probably know some selfless
folks yourself: people who look around
them, find who might need a hand and
then take action to change a life. We
discovered 13 of these do-gooders
– people performing noble deeds not
because they’ll rake in likes on social,
bring in extra side-hustle cash or
improve their cred. They are doing
good because that’s who they are. And
in times when we’re all giving so much,
they are giving, against the odds, even
more. Read their stories. Catch a
spark. Then get fired up and head out
there. Or, as Dwayne Johnson is
famous for saying, “Let your actions
do your talking for you”.

TACTICS

Harris (board
on head) after a

September
surf session.

CHANGE A LIFE NOW: Donate to

the Australian Sports Foundation’s Surf For Life
program (sportsfoundation.org.au), which helps
underpriveleged children learn to surf.

In the US, LOU HARRIS, founder of the Rockaway Beach, Queens, where he moved in the mid-2000s, those
Black Surfing Association East Coast, activities were inaccessible for the mostly low-income families in
helps kids via surfing BY TAYLYN WASHINGTONHARMON the area, many of whom were Black.

IN 2014, Marcell Dockery, a 16-year-old boy from Coney Island, A few weeks before the Dockery fire, Harris received a surfing
Brooklyn, started a mattress fire because he was bored. The fire magazine in the mail by mistake. He opened it and read about Tony
spread and one of the NYPD officers responding to the incident died. Corley of the Black Surfing Association, an organisation created to
Boredom killed a police officer. That fact struck Lou Harris, who was build solidarity in the Black surfing community in 1970s California.
working as a doorman on the Upper East Side. “That boy had nothing (“I was like, ‘Wow, Black people surf? This is insane’,” he says.)
to do,” he says. Harris, a former skateboarder who still rolled around town, says he
then realised his destiny. For minimal cost – the price of a board and
Growing up in one of the few affluent Black families in a Long a wetsuit – the ocean could be an accessible escape for kids. When
Island neighbourhood in the late ’70s, Harris was used to constant you’re in the water, it’s impossible to worry about all your problems,
enrichment – summer camps, karate classes, BMX and beyond. In Harris says. “You’re thinking about catching waves.” So he reached
out to Corley and asked to set up a chapter.

As soon as Harris founded the East Coast chapter in 2016, he
faced racial backlash. “ ‘Why’s it gotta be Black?’ I’ve heard it all . . .”
he says. But he pushed through, aided by DM support and donations,
and the group evolved. While the name may include the word Black,
Harris invited kids of all colours from the neighbourhood. And what
started as a few surfing meet-ups grew into an organisation that
now supplies disadvantaged Rockaway youth with free wetsuits,
surfboards and lessons. Beyond gear and skills, Harris says, the
members gain something that blows their minds: pure joy. “A lot of
these kids don’t come from the best homes. For them, surfing is a lot
of fun. After [trying] surfing, they don’t want to leave,” he says.

Hundreds of kids have passed through the ranks, and in the
summer of 2020, the group organised a paddle-out, a take on the
Hawaiian memorial surfing tradition, for Black Lives Matter and
racial justice. The event attracted more than 400 surfers calling for
an end to police violence. And 49-year-old Harris, now retired with
knee problems, is still out there week after week. He recalls a parent
lamenting that she couldn’t get her son out of the house, and “now
he’s waking me up to come surf with you,” Harris relays.

He credits the success of the Black Surfing Association East
Coast to his father, who set an example of perseverance and hard
work. “He said, ‘Louie, if you want people to listen to you, you’ve got
to shove it down their throats’,” Harris says. “It’s a lot of hustle and
a lot of work. You can’t sit on something that you believe in and not
go crazy with it.”

TRAVIS SCOTT LIL NAS X

Rapper Cultural rabble-rouser
Before the Astroworld tragedy, Scott went sicko mode In the lead-up to the arrival of his 2021 album, Montero,
on philanthropy during the pandemic. He started the rapper/singer opened a “baby registry” through
the Cactus Jack Foundation to fund scholarships to which people could donate to 16 causes, from fighting
historically Black colleges, distribute meals to more LGBTQ injustice to creating art for mental-health
than 1000 families after Houston’s winter storm and awareness to establishing health equity for gay Black
develop a school agriculture and nutrition program. men. The effort reportedly raised more than $100,000.

FEBRUARY 2022 99

LAUGH MORE

ABOUT THE

TOUGH STUFF

When ANTHONY ANDERSON needed a Near right: ABC/KWAKU ALSTON (ANDERSON, TOP). COURTESY SUBJECT (ANDERSON, BOTTOM [2])
colonoscopy, the Black-ish star knew a screenshot of
what he had to do: broadcast the Anderson preaching
experience on social BY PAUL KITA
on Instagram
ON OCTOBER 19, 2020, Anthony Anderson, 50 at the time, posted moments before his
a photo of a jug of GaviLyte-N, a box of Dulcolax laxatives and a
package of Depend Real Fit underwear on Instagram. Anderson’s colonoscopy.
message to his million-plus followers: “Guess what I’m doing Far right: An only
tonight? Prepping for my first colonoscopy tomorrow. I suggest all slightly hobbled post-
men, especially men of colour, get this done. I say at age 45. [But] scoped Anderson.
check with your doctor! Health is wealth!”
This wasn’t Anderson’s first foray into supporting health
What was he actually thinking? “You know, I wasn’t scared,” causes. He has type 2 diabetes and partnered with an organisation
Anderson says. “I had friends who went through the procedure. It’s to broadcast prevention and management measures. He’s raised
a serious issue, but we don’t have to make it a serious thing.” Bowel money for Alzheimer’s treatment. This past August, he co-hosted
cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in the US and the third most a Stand Up to Cancer event in honour of Boseman.
common in Australia . The Australian Government introduced the
National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) for people “Unfortunately, I lost my father to complications due to
aged 50-74 to reduce the number of deaths from the cancer. diabetes,” Anderson says. “By the time he was diagnosed, he’d
probably been diabetic for 20 years. That’s what this is about. I have
One day later, Anderson posted a video from inside a hospital a platform I can speak from. I want to spread life.”
room. Sporting a light-purple gown and a white hairnet, he lay down
on the medical table and cracked a Michael Jackson joke. But in CHANGE A LIFE NOW: Remember Anderson’s line, “It’s a
between, his usual nonchalance faded and his vulnerability
showed through. “Look, I recommend that men and women get serious issue, but we don’t have to make it a serious thing”. Then
this,” he told Instagram. “Especially men and women of colour, but use it as motivation to open up to friends or family when you’re
in particular, men of colour.” During that plea, Anderson says, he going through something rough – anxiety, depression, infertility.
was thinking of actor Chadwick Boseman, who had died of colon Who knows who else is going through it (or has, or will), too?
cancer at age 43 just two months prior. “Chadwick was a wake-up
call for me. We should be encouraging our brothers and sisters to get
this done – and done before it’s too late.”

PATRICK MAHOMES EDWARD NORTON

Kansas City Chiefs QB Actor
He has yet to win a Super Bowl (damn you, Brady), but From aiding Syrian refugees to helping make a public
he’s hit a philanthropic trifecta. For military families:
funding scholarships for the children of fallen soldiers. park out of an abandoned rail line, Norton has a long
For kids: raising more than $1 million to improve the
health of children in need. For voters: splitting the track record of donating time, energy and money to
$100,000 tab with the Kansas City Chiefs to turn charitable efforts – he even helped found CrowdRise,
Arrowhead Stadium into a polling place. a crowdfunding platform eventually acquired by
GoFundMe that’s brought in more than $1 million
100 MEN’S HE ALTH through his fundraisers.