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Advisory Board

SOMETIMES, EVEN WE NEED ADVICE. HERE’S WHO WE ASK.

STRENGTH TRAINING FOOD MOTIVATION

CJ Murphy, M.F.S. Danny Boome Celebrity Martin E. Ford, Ph.D.
Owner, Total Performance chef, currently on Good Professor of education,
Sports, Everett, MA Food America for Veria Living George Mason University

Jim Smith, C.P.P.S. Candice Kumai Author, RELATIONSHIPS
Owner, Diesel Strength & Clean Green Drinks,
Conditioning candicekumai.com Tammy Nelson, Ph.D.
Certified sex therapist,
Zach Even-Esh Devin Alexander Celebrity New Haven, CT
Owner, Underground chef; host, PBS’s America’s Michael Aaron, Ph.D.
Strength Gym, Edison, NJ Chefs on Tour; New York Certified sex therapist
Times best-selling author and couples counselor,
WEIGHT LOSS drmichaelaaronnyc.com
SPORTS PERFORMANCE Moushumi Ghose, M.F.T.
Bob Harper Fitness expert; Licensed psychotherapist
trainer, NBC’s The Biggest Jason Ferruggia, and sex therapist,
Loser Fitness expert; owner, New York City
jasonferruggia.com
Chris Powell, C.S.C.S. WILDERNESS SURVIVAL
Trainer; author; transfor- Dan Trink, C.S.C.S.
mation specialist, ABC’s Owner, Trink Fitness Thomas Coyne, E.M.T.
Extreme Weight Loss President, Survival Training
Jon Hinds Owner, Monkey School of California,
Frank G. Bottone Jr., Bar Gym, Madison, WI Tehachapi, CA
Ph.D., R.D. Author, The
Diet Denominator: Fill Your Kevin Lilly Former D1 M A L E H E A LT H
Tank for Less football player; trainer of
actors and athletes Steven Lamm, M.D., Direc-
FINANCE tor, Men’s Health Center,
ENDURANCE New York University Medical
Roy Cohen Career coun- Center
selor; author, The Wall Street Pete Jacobs 2012 Ironman
Professional’s Survival world champion, Sydney, FASHION
Guide; careercoachny.com Australia
Jorge Valls Men’s fashion
Chris Bart, Ph.D. Business SPORTS NUTRITION director, Nordstrom
consultant; author, A Tale of Michael Gordon
Two Employees Shelby Starnes IFBB Store director, Tourneau
bodybuilder; owner, TimeMachine, NYC
DERMATOLOGY shelbystarnes.com
GROOMING
Tina West, M.D. Board-cer- Nate Miyaki, C.S.S.N.
tified dermatologist; founder Author, The Samurai Diet; Anthony Sosnick Founder,
of the West Institute, owner natemiyaki.com Anthony grooming brand
westskinlaser.com
NUTRITION Israel Leon Master barber,
Annet King, Director The Art of Shaving, NYC
of global education, the Angela Lemond, R.D.N.
International Dermal Institute Owner, Lemond Nutrition; PSYCHIATRY
and Dermalogica spokesperson, American
Academy of Nutrition and Michael A. Grandner,
PHYSICAL THERAPY Dietetics Ph.D., Instructor, Penn
Center for Sleep and
Jay Dicharry, M.P.T., Elizabeth M. Ward, M.S., Circadian Neurobiology
C.S.C.S. Director of R.D.N. Award-winning
biomechanics, Rebound writer, nutrition consultant,
Physical Therapy spokesperson

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79 Eat your way to
“shredded” with this

get-lean plan.

30 Fashion staples
to keep you covered,
literally.

Breakthroughs 10 Namaste your Eat to Win The Body Book
way to lower blood
08 Top News 19 Guy Food 76 Unbreakable
The best sports to pressure What people from the Your total-body plan
beat back the Grim world’s longest-living to become a human
Reaper. regions eat to stay machine.
practically immortal.
08 Cardio 80 Chow Down
Cardio cancels out 22 Fast Fuel The low-fat meal
binge eating; and How to make Spain’s plan.
shocking your brain most iconic dish—
leads to gains. paella—into a robust, 82 Power Up
better-for-you Simple ways to
09 Muscle one-pan meal. boost your testos-
Why meat eaters don’t terone.
have an advantage in 24 Fit Chef
the gym. The ex-pro swimmer 84 Melt the Fat
creating an organic Tailor-made high-
10 Health chicken empire. intensity sugar-
How downward dogs burning workouts
can lower your blood 25 Diet Hacks to burn flab.
pressure. The ultimate salad
bar smackdown. 86 The 500-Rep
11 Nutrition Challenge
Is broccoli the veggie Columns HIIT at its absolute
of youth? finest.
26 Learn It!
On Top One man dares to 90 Celebrity Work-
de-clutter his apart- out
14 Fight On ment. Keanu Reeves’
Enter the new world hitman plan to get a
of luxury boxing 28 Burn It! killer body.
gyms. Just in time for
your vacation: The
17 Lift Smart Seven Rules of Room
Pace your workout Service.
for better PRs.

MAY/JUN 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 7

Cardio

BEST Bring it, bro:
WORKOUT Competition gets
MOTIVATION: you to the gym

BEATING Been slacking off instead of hit-
SOMEONE’S ting the gym and throwing up some
iron? Get yourself an enemy to go
ASS. after. Okay, not an enemy, exactly, but some-
one who can give you some stiff competi-
tion. That’s the very best motivation to work
out, according to US University of Pennsyl-
vania researchers who found that, rather
than a cheering section, you need to feel a
sense of competitiveness to be extremely
consistent with your workouts. Their study,
an 11-week weightlifting, running, spin-
ning, and yoga program involving 790 stu-
dents, showed that exercisers who competed
for the top spot on leaderboards had 90%
higher gym-attendance rates than those in
groups in which competition wasn’t empha-
sised. So, if you’re feeling less than excited
about crushing it these days, challenge one
— or a whole gang — of your gym buddies to
a duel and watch the gains start rolling in.

Ask Men’s Fitness

WORKING of Michigan, USA. SHOCKING to boost exercise Some studies claim Like any new tech,
OUT MAKES In it, four subjects EXERCISE capacity. (Check it fitness trackers trackers have their
UP FOR BINGE (hey, we said it was NEWS! out at mensfitness. are useless, while pros and cons, so nail-
EATING (WELL, a small study) who com/tdcs.) And, boy, others say they’re ing down benefits is
A WEEK OF IT) ate 30% more calo- Q In November were they ahead of great for your tricky, says Kelly Even-
ries for a week — but 2016, our US coun- the curve. In a study health. What’s the son, PhD, a profes-
Q The ill effects still did 150 minutes terparts wrote about at the University of lowdown? sor at the University
of a brief eating of cardio and worked transcranial direct- Kent in the UK, nine of North Carolina at
binge can be off- out six days — had current stimulation guys in their 20s did CALEB R, JOHANNESBURG Chapel Hill in the US,
set by exercise, says none of the insulin (tDCS), a new brain- leg extensions at and the closest thing
a small study out resistance/inflam- stimulation treat- about 20% of their A fitness tracker to a human fitness-
of the University mation that pigging ment that seems max; but when tDCS can work — if you tracker “tracker” there
out usually causes. electrodes jolted actually use it. is. For example, one
their heads with recent study she did
RUN FOR IT Q Many runners believe that landing on the a tiny bit (2 milli- suggested that track-
(BUT HEEL- amps) of juice, their ers don’t improve
TOE OR ball of the foot is better than adjusting to a perceived effort health; but her new-
TOE-HEEL?) heel-first gait, assuming that going balls- lessened, allowing est research shows
first will cushion the impact better. Not so: A them to exercise they can, indeed,
study in the Journal of Sports Sciences dis- about 15% longer. lower heart disease
You can buy a tDCS risk — but only if used
covered that when runners switch up their device at wantitall. faithfully. For max use-
co.za but ask your fulness, she says,
style, there’s no change in the amount of doctor first. wear it in the same
position every day,
force from one method to the other — the impact is just redirected update software often,
and pair it with benefit-
through the body. boosting apps.

8 MEN’S FITNESS MAY/JUN 2021

Muscle
Breakthroughs

Carnivores have no
advantage over veggie
eaters in muscling up.

Vegetarians
build as much
lean muscle

Getting plenty of protein post-
workout is key to speed-
ing muscle growth and aiding
recovery — but what type of protein
is best? To find out, researchers at
the Arizona State University in the US
tracked the diet and workout habits of
70 elite endurance athletes — 43 meat
eaters and 27 vegetarians. And sur-
prise! At study’s end, the veggie eat-
ers had virtually the same lean muscle
mass as the carnivores and just as
much leg strength. And though the
groups’ VO2 max scores showed they
were equally fit, the vegetarian wom-
en’s numbers were 13% better. The
take-home: If you’re getting the right
amount of protein per day (1.2 to 1.6
grams per kilogram of body weight),
it doesn’t matter what form it comes
in — plant, animal, or supplement.

Ask Men’s Fitness

CROSS VS. group excelled in SIZE DOESN’T that concluded that My weightlifting Your buddy’s rea-
CLANK: whatever played MATTER IN the link between partner is really sons for exercising
WHICH GETS to their regimen: MUSCLES post-workout mus- erratic about may be the problem.
YOU FITTEST? CrossFit folks cle size and muscle getting to the gym, Impulsive gymgoers
had more endur- Q That guy with the strength is tenuous and it’s driving me are most often moti-
Q CrossFitters and ance, lifters more at best. crazy. Any idea vated by feelings of
weightlifters often strength. So mix it ungodly big, bulging what’s going on or pressure, guilt, or
clash over which up to get the best of bi’s? He’s not neces- In fact, scientists what I should do? shame about their
workout is best — both worlds — fit- sarily stronger than noted, even when bodies, the Journal
and now we know. ness snobs always you are. you lose muscle JOE W, BLOEMFONTEIN of Strength and Con-
Sort of. In a new lose out in the end. mass after time ditioning Research
study in the Jour- That’s the upshot off, strength often What makes a great reports. If those
nal of Exercise of a review in sticks around. (or lousy) gym pal? thoughts plague him,
Physiology, 13 sea- Muscle & Nerve What’s in his head. it’s going to be tough
soned CrossFitters Take that, Hulk. for him to stay con-
and 13 iron junkies sistent. “The gym
were put through Q If you do want to build strength in your mus- should be seen as
a barrage of tests, a thing of value, not
including pull-ups, SHORT, cles, the best way to do it is through short, a chore or punish-
shuttle runs, and EXPLOSIVE explosive contractions lasting less than a sec- ment”, says study
explosive jumps. MOVES ond. In a new study in the Journal of Applied author Dave Keat-
Who won? Well, no ARE THE MOST Physiology, researchers found that short ley, PhD. If your pal’s
one, really. Each EFFECTIVE impetus to work out
is negative (“I look
exercises are not only less tiring and easier, awful”), not positive Peter Yang
(“I’m doing something
they also build more strength than longer, sustained contractions. great!”), you may
need a new partner.

MAY/JUN 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 9

Health
Breakthroughs

TO SLEEP GERMS Daily posing can
SMART, CUT MAKE HUGE lower your risk
BLUE RAYS ATM of stroke and
ALL DAY DEPOSITS heart disease.

Q Getting enough Q An American Yoga lowers
good sleep is one of New York Univer- blood pressure
the best ways to stay sity sample of 66
fit and healthy. So New York City ATMs
hear this: The more found their key-
screen time you put pads to be teeming
in on your smart- with bacteria. Luck-
phone, computer, or ily, though, most
tablet — all day, not are harmless types
just near bedtime that thrive on skin
— the poorer and and home surfaces.
shorter your sleep No, the real evildo-
will be, say US Uni- ers are inside the
versity of California, ATMs, the research-
San Francisco scien- ers say: The cash
tists, who analysed the machines spit
data on 600-plus out is rife with more
subjects. The culprit: than 3000 types of
Blue light emitted by bacteria. Many are
screens, which hin- linked to acne (col-
ders the sleep hor- lective shudder), but
mone melatonin. some are deadly
To fight the blues, antibiotic-resistant
block rays from your strains. So, consider
phone or computer your hands tainted
with an app from after withdraw-
justgetflux.com or als — or, better yet,
twilight.urbanan- just swipe your card
droid.org. instore instead.

Ask Men’s Fitness Thanks to the good folks at the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention in the United States we know
I love to hit the Any consistent exer- Push blood that about 75 million Americans have — and 59 mil-
golf course on the cise is good for you pressure lion more are on the verge of developing — high blood pressure,
weekends, but my — even golf, accord- downward which can dramatically increase heart disease and stroke risk.
gym-loving ing to new data out with daily Those are some scary numbers, even for us here in sunny SA.
buddies say I’m of the University of yoga Of course, if you think or have been told that you’re at risk, tak-
not getting any Edinburgh in Scot- sessions. ing sensible steps like quitting smoking and exercising can help
real exercise. Am I land, where golf stave off high BP, also known as hypertension. But if you’d like to
wasting my time? was born back in the be even more proactive, try yoga: A new study presented to the
1400s. The study, Cardiological Society of India shows that practising hatha yoga
Get on the ball: the largest and most an hour a day for a month can lower blood pressure even more
Golfers live longer systematic review than lifestyle changes. In the study, the yogis, who did stretch-
than non-golfers. ever done, found that ing poses and breathing exercises, had a huge drop in diastolic
golfers live longer BP (pressure while your heart is resting) over 24 hours, from
than non-golfers and a dangerously high 81 to a normal 76. A decrease that drastic
are in better health could lower stroke risk by 15% and heart disease by 6%.
overall, says author
Andrew Murray, BREATHE The way you breathe throughout the day and while exercising can
MD. “Golf is a great THROUGH YOUR calm your body and mind and help them both perform better. Yet
choice for longevity, NOSE! proper breathing is one of the most overlooked methods of improving
physical, and men- health. Now there’s even more evidence that breathing right is impor-
tal benefits — and you
can play it from age 3 tant: In research at Northwestern University in the US, subjects who
to 103”, Murray says.
Just ditch the cart inhaled through their noses were able to recognise fearful faces faster
and carry your clubs:
An 18-hole round can and remember images better than when they were exhaling or inhaling through their mouths. Juliachka/Getty
burn 1200 calories,
compared with 600 Researchers believe rapid (“panicky”) nasal inhalation synchronises brain areas to make us more
for cart jockeys.
aware of our surroundings. For respiration tips, go to breathing.com.

10 MEN’S FITNESS MAY/JUN 2021

Nutrition Broccoli can help head
Breakthroughs off the ageing process.

Broccoli:
a pep
stalk from
Mother
Nature

Love broccoli or hate it, you’ll probably be wanting more of it once you read
this. Packed with tons of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant phytonutrients
that help you stay fit and trim, broccoli also contains niacin (alias “vitamin B3”),
which helps create an enzyme called NMN (for nicotinamide mononucleotide). Now an
American study conducted on mice at the Washington University School of Medicine
has revealed that the NMN in broccoli helps your body use energy more efficiently,
slows age-related weight gain, boosts eyesight, and improves insulin sensitiv-
ity. In other words, it staves off many of the negative effects of ageing. Even as the
NMN-munching study mice got older, their metabolism and energy levels remained
comparable with that of younger, friskier rodents. Can’t stand broccoli? You can still
reap the benefits of NMN by eating foods like chicken, pork, tuna, mushrooms, pep-
pers, and peanuts, which are also extremely rich sources of niacin.

Ask Men’s Fitness SCIENCE helps your body YO-YO six extra months,
SAYS: LOSE burn more fat and DIETING MAY Nature reports. It
I’ve picked up a diet Seems so, Sam. WEIGHT 3 protects it against BE A GUT seems the little
soda habit, but now Research increas- HEALTHY high bp, pre-diabe- REACTION guys’ guts remem-
I’m hearing that the ingly shows that NEW WAYS tes, and diabetes. bered obesity
diet stuff is almost sugar substitutes Q After Israeli fondly and sped up
as bad as the regu- fail to do their job Q Have dinner ear- Q Pretend you’re researchers put weight gain when
lar. Is that true? — that is, prevent lier. Stop eating watching yourself mice through a off the diet. The
obesity and diabe- around mid-after- stuff your face. To cycle of weight finding may lead
SAM R, DURBAN tes, says Richard noon, and don’t start drop kilograms, try loss and gain, they to treatments to
Hodin, MD. Case in again till morning. a little mental imag- found that the combat yo-yo diet-
To stay lean, point: Hodin’s latest “Restricted feeding” ery, says a new rodents’ systems ing. Till then, for-
drop diet soda. study found that, in cuts appetite and report from the Uni- all returned to nor- tify your gut with
the stomach, aspar- ups fat burning at versity of Aberdeen mal but one: Their plenty of probi-
tame actually blocks night, say research- in Scotland. Seeing microbiomes (germ otic (yoghurt, kim-
an intestinal enzyme ers from the Pen- yourself from an colonies) stayed in chi) and prebiotic
that helps protect us nington Biomedical external perspec- “obese” mode for (asparagus, onion)
from gaining weight. Research Center in tive could help you foods.
And it’s not just the US. put on the brakes.
aspartame. Multiple From top: Levi Brown/ Trunk Archive; Get t y
studies show that, Q Go low carb once OLDER Q A compound in aged cheeses may help
across the board, a week. Eating just CHEESE
sugar substitutes three low-carb HELPS YOU keep you alive longer, says Nature Medi-
tend to promote obe- meals in a 24-hour GET OLDER cine. Italian researchers found that subjects
sity, plump up belly period lowers your who ate higher amounts of mature cheese
fat, and, basically, insulin resistance, had 40% less risk of heart failure. The com-
keep you fat. Hodin’s say US scientists
advice: Stick to from the University pound, spermidine (also abundant in soy-
water. of Michigan. This
beans and mushrooms), was first isolated

from semen, winning it our award for “Most Unappetising-Sounding

Health Boon Ever”.

MAY/JUN 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 11

1 2 M E N ’S F I T N E S S M A Y / J U N 2 0 2 1

ON Everything
you need to
make life work
for you

TOP

I hated
every
minute of
training,
but I said,
‘Don’t quit.
Suffer now
and live the
rest of your
life as a

champion.’

Muhammad Ali

MAY/JUN 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 13

Snap your
fist, then pull

back for a
proper punch.

Enter
thering

Boxing checks off all the right training criteria: It’s anaerobic!
Muscle toning! Core sculpting! And whether they’re grimy or
sparkling, boxing gyms have become beacons of total-body
fitness. Plus, you’ll never have more fun hitting things with all
your might. Ready to go a few rounds? Step this way.

By Mike Woods
Photograph by James Ryang

14 MEN’S FITNESS MAY/JUN 2021

Boxing gyms have come a long way Pugilist 101
from the gritty, dank caves Rocky
prowled in Philly’s predawn hours. The beginner’s guide
Just as we had the luxury-climbing- to picking a boxing gym
gym revolution last year — when
men skipped the treadmill to flex Before you ou’ve hit Bengay, with heavy heard of a swimming
their bouldering skills — we’re now can pull on the bags wrapped with instructor who hasn’t
witnessing an explosion of ultra-high- gloves, you need Y YouTube, duct tape. been in the water?”
end boxing temples. Leading the way to find the right and after
are US-based Box ’N Burn Boxing place — and the watching Next, find a trainer. And don’t be intimi-
and Fitness, Chicago’s Unanimous right trainer. highlights of Mike Tyson “Let the owner know dated. The camara-
Boxing Gym, and, most recently, the knocking heads into if you’re interested in derie found in boxing
gleaming Rumble, which opened a the cheap seats, you’re competition or fitness”, gyms is second to
550-plus-square-metre location amped to learn the says Hardy. Then ask none, and most boxers
in New York City this last January. ropes. Now what? about style: Do you are chill cats who are
At this knockdown palace, which is “Start by going to a respond better to an happy to share tips.
partly co-owned by a former Google reputable gym”, says earful of growls from a From the banker throw-
executive and a master trainer from Heather Hardy, the grizzled vet, or pats on ing soft punches to the
Bravo’s Work Out New York, you can WBC international the butt from a gentler welterweight prospect
work on full-body toning while hitting featherweight champ. soul? Make sure the fighting on HBO next
an aqua heavy bag, which is much easier What constitutes as gym trains “white- week, they’re all there
on the joints and tendons. “Our clients “reputable” depends on collar types”, and steer to better themselves.
don’t just punch a bag for 45 minutes. your personal prefer- clear of anyone lacking “It’s one of America’s
We have weights and benches”, says ence. The gym doesn’t ring time. “I don’t take last true melting pots”,
Eugene Remm, a head of the EMM have to be beautiful — the ‘no fighting experi- says Bruce Silverglade,
Group and a Rumble co-owner. “Add it can be a hole-in- ence’ trainers as seri- owner of Gleason’s
our overall cleanliness, and nobody the-wall reeking of ously”, says Kelly. “Ever Gym in Brooklyn, USA.
thinks ‘boxing’.” We totally approve
of the rise in boxing gyms, and not
just because we’ve seen Creed too
many times. Boxing isn’t just about
fighting — it’s a great workout that
boosts mental agility, improves
co-ordination, and blends cardio and
muscle sculpting. “Boxing is the only
sport where you have to stay on your
feet the whole time to be successful,”
says Eric Kelly, a four-time US amateur
national champion who now trains
clients in NYC. “Meanwhile, you’ve
got to keep a guy’s foot out of your
ass. That requires every muscle in
the body!” Here’s what you need to
know before you step into the ring.

MAY/JUN 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 15

On Top Slug away Avoid this fate by
slipping, or ducking,
THE SECRET TO the next roundhouse
SURE-FIRE that comes your way.

RIPPED ABS HOW TO
AND CHISELLED TAKE A PUNCH
ARMS? BOXING.
bout to get clocked? Here’s
Group class or
one-on-one? A how to avoid hitting the mat.
Keep your eyes open — don’t
YOUR TOTAL-BODY blink — and focus on your
BOXING WORKOUT opponent’s chest to spot any muscle
movements that’ll indicate an incoming
The beauty of boxing workouts is that you can still become a mini Mayweather bell ringer. Next, “slip” the punch, which
whether you make it to the gym or not. Done right, this boxing workout will means moving your head to the side —
eventually transform you into a Golden Gloves god. that way, you’ll deflect the hook’s full
force. Finally, tuck your chin. This is a
Clockwise from top left: Jorg Badura; United Artists/Photofrest; Nick Ferrari; Prop Q Group gigs STEP 1 to stay balanced when As you hit the bag for matter of discipline, but it’s the best way
styling by Rachel Stickley/Bernstein & Andriulli are great you punch. It also puts three to four rounds, to prevent an embarrassing TKO.
for Spinning, Stretch your hammies, adduc- make sure to snap the
but in the boxing No muscle goes unused, tors, quads, and calves punch before you bring 2
space? There’s so spend five to 10 min- to work as you move lat- the hand back.
something to be utes before the bell rings erally. Start with three 13
said for starting stretching every body rounds, sliding and pop- STEP 5
out by yourself part. Work those ham- ping combos — which Boxing gym essentials
and locking down strings: Stand straight helps refine your eva- Hit the speed bag
the basics. But and bend over, with sion techniques — while Everlast 120" Hand Wraps
if you’re not your fingers touching picturing a foe in your Fast-twitch muscles pop
sure you’ll like the floor. To prevent face. You’ll eventually be as the speed bag goes Q These wraps will keep your phalanges
the sport at all, tearing your shoulder able to shadowbox for rat-a-tat. The goal is to
consider taking muscles, place your 15 minutes (five rounds) build combos, which and metacarpals from splintering. And the
a few group hand against a wall and in the process build will improve shoulder polyester-nylon material is breathable, so
classes — they and lean away, which a toned trunk. strength and train you they won’t get too stanky too quickly.
are cheaper, stretches the fibres. to keep your hands high.
have some nice STEP 4 Besides helping you get Everlast Powerlock Hook &
camaraderie, STEP 2 some killer shoulders, Loop Gloves
and can provide Hit the heavy bag practising the speed bag
a good intro. Jump rope is for rhythm, timing, Q Versatile enough for bag work and
“One-on-one is Jumping rope is crucial Learn how to control and relaxation. Punches
best”, says Kelly. to building the quickness your “foe” with a jab shouldn’t be thrown even sparring, Powerlock gloves are
“You get all the and agility you’ll need while also working your with flexed muscles constructed entirely of a proprietary foam
attention. Your to be a ring king. Start core and hips, from — relax your arm to that grips every contour of your fist while
trainer can focus out jumping with both which you’ll transfer keep a steady rhythm, absorbing shock upon impact.
on technique and feet, then gradually power to your punches. which translates to a
make sure you alternate, jumping five “The power comes from more fluid motion. Don’t Reebok Boxing Boot-Buck
ain’t just staring on the left and five on the ground up,” says “punch” the bag; it’s
at asses and the right. Only after you Kelly, “and the core must as if your hand were Q The go-to boxing shoe for ankle support
being lazy.” master that will you be be strong to get the right holding a bicycle pedal
co-ordinated enough velocity behind each moving in a continuous and style. You’ll get good traction while
to jump back and forth punch.” Aim for heavy circle, hitting the bag doing the Ali shuffle — and at the right price
between right and left. bags attached to a every time it gets to the point for the average Joe Boxer.
chain, rather than those top. To improve your
STEP 3 connected to the wall — accuracy and head
the swinging helps hone movement, sub in a
Shadowbox your body movements. double-end bag.
This drill helps you learn

16 MEN’S FITNESS MAY/JUN 2021

On Top Lift smart

Change

pathce e!
Varying the tempo of
your workout can bring
huge improvements
in strength and power
By Pete Williams,
Photographs by James Michelfelder

You’ll achieve that Styling by Barret Wertz; Grooming by Casey Geren/Bernstein & Andriulli using
extra power boost L aura Mercier; Fitness Tech: Jeb Stuar t Johnston

you’ve always
coveted if you toss
the medicine ball at
just a modest pace.

When it comes to setting personal records in the weight room, it’s natural to focus on sets, reps, and weight. But most athletes
give little thought to tempo — the cadence at which a movement pattern is performed. Enter tempo training, which was popular-
ised years ago by strength coach Ian King but has resurged. And no wonder: Changing up tempo can produce dramatic results,
including increased strength, power, and size. It can also help you bust through plateaus by mixing up stale routines that no
longer generate results. “By varying the speed, you trigger a response that creates muscle growth”, says Ken Croner, owner of
US-based Munster Sports Performance in Indiana. What’s more, being aware of your tempo ensures a more mindful workout, an
antidote to all the digital distractions that’s made it difficult for athletes — like everyone else — to concentrate on the rep at hand.
“Focusing on your lifting tempo forces you to think about what you’re doing”, says Croner. Muscular and mindful? Can’t beat that.

MAY/JUN 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 17

SLOW DOWN
TO BUILD
STRENGTH

Q Athletes typi- adds 100 seconds Looking for
cally lift at a steady to a 10-rep set and explosive power?
pace, power- raises the TUT Decrease the weight
ing through the tenfold. Plus, squat- and boost your rep
eccentric (lower- ting — more than speed. You’ll soon see
ing), isometric any other move more gains than ever
(holding), and — is about execu-
concentric (raising) tion, and a slower before.
portions of a lift. tempo forces you
But greater gains to squat properly. SAMPLE
require a change Tempo training WORKOUTS
of pace. A slower even applies to
tempo increases thrusters, the These can be
a muscle’s time popular CrossFit done on their own
under tension move: Slow down or consecutively
(TUT) for each rep. in the squat portion
The greater the before exploding Slower-tempo SPEED UP TO FOR A NEW
TUT (on the lower- into a shoulder workout INCREASE PR, MIX UP
ing or holding por- press. Beyond the EXPLOSIVENESS THE TEMPO
tion), the greater greater TUT, this >10 push-ups:
Brad Swonetz the stress on the encourages proper 4 seconds down, Q On the other one-rep max — Q Alternating
muscles; that leads form. A criticism 2 seconds hold, hand, working and maintain a between various
to optimum hyper- of CrossFit is that it 1 second up at a faster tempo high effort while tempos will not
trophy, or muscle emphasises speed with less weight moving quickly. only help you
building. As a at the expense of >10 squats: is better when The end of a set break through
bonus, this speed form, and some 6 seconds down, training for power. shouldn’t feel plateaus, it’ll lead
encourages proper athletes, especially 1 second hold, A quicker pace harder than the to a more focused
form. A push-up newbies, aren’t 1 second up increases the beginning. Have workout and a
is more effective ready for ballis- body’s ability a 140kg bench more efficient
if you spend three tic movements. >5–10 pull-ups to handle rapid max? Load just gym session
to four seconds A slower tempo (depending on stretch loads; the 80kg and blast overall. “Tempo
lowering yourself yields a correctly ability): Starting faster movement through all is so valuable
and one to two performed lift. from the bar, also lengthens three phases. Or because it serves
seconds holding 2 seconds down, your fascia’s do a squat jump so many goals”,
just above the floor Anthony 2 seconds (hold at elastic properties, using just your Hobgood says.
before powering Hobgood of Exos bottom), 2 seconds causing muscles body weight. For “You know the
back up. There’s in Gulf Breeze, (hold at top) to contract more both workouts, moves; this just
additional TUT, and Florida, USA, forcefully. Focus you’re combin- changes things
the slower move- recommends slow- Faster-tempo on moderate resis- ing speed and up to improve
ment recruits more tempo training workout tance — 60% of a strength. results.”
shoulder stabiliser with pull-ups. This
muscles and better increases TUT and Do these as fast as
engages the core. stops the natural possible:
A squat becomes tendency of using
extra challenging a body’s momen- >10 bench presses
if your eccentric tum to get through using 40% of 1RM
phase takes 10 a set, boosting the
seconds, which number of pull-ups >10 squat jumps
an athlete can do. using body weight

>10 medicine ball
rotational throws
using modest weight

18 MEN’S FITNESS MAY/JUN 2021

Smarter ways to rule the kitchen

Eat toWin

The diet of Ikaria, Greece,
“the island where people

forget to die”, features
tomatoes, wild mushrooms,

and wild greens.

Foreverfuel

WANT TO LIVE TO BE 100? THE PEOPLE IN SEVEN AREAS AROUND THE WORLD
DO JUST THAT — AND WE HAVE THEIR SECRETS.

BY NILS BERNSTEIN PHOTOGRAPHS BY LINDA XIAO

MAY/JUN 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 19

On the menu in Okinawa:
brown seaweed, pork,
and bitter melon, which

looks like ugly cucumber.

Can you eat your way to a long life?
People in a handful of regions across
the globe apparently do. Author Dan
Buettner identified seven so-called “blue
zones” — places where residents often
live past 100 — and analysed the factors
that may explain it. Along with lifestyle,
nutrition is key. So pick some favourites
from each and start beating the odds!

IKARIA, OKINAWA, HOW TO LIVE SARDINIA, SOUTHERN NICOYA, Food styling by Hadas Smirnoff; Prop styling by Maeve Sheridan
GREECE JAPAN (ALMOST) ITALY SWEDEN COSTA RICA
FOREVER
Q Called “the island Q Why such lon- Q Carbo-loading for Q Scandinavia’s Q This Costa Rican
where people for- gevity among Oki- The basic principles long life? Sardin- quality of life (low peninsula’s diet is
get to die” in Diane nawans? It could followed by citizens ians eat gobs of crime, free health similar to the rest of
Kochilas’ cookbook be their superfood of “blue zones” pasta and whole- care) offers some Latin America’s but
on its food, Ikaria intake: Turmeric grain breads — even non-dietary rea- with a few key dif-
is a hotbed of old- is a favourite here, The diet their famed soup, sons for long lives. ferences: The fruit
agers who follow a as is go-to veggie zuppa gallurese, is a Still, something of its peach palm
Med-type diet but bitter melon — both O Plant-based, sort of bread casse- about the hearty tree is said to fight
eat less meat than thought to be dis- though not entirely role. It could be the cuisine of Sweden’s cancer, and its wild
most Greeks; farm ease fighters. Most vegetarian omega-3s they get Öland, Småland, ginger is a potent
or forage many foods are stir-fried from shellfish and and Skåne (their anti-inflammatory.
foods; and proudly quickly in minimal O Lotsa legumes— dairy or the crazy- flavonoid-packed Plus, little milk or
admit they f#ck oil. beans, lentils, high polyphenols in black currants, per- processed food is
like bunnies into peas the local red wine… haps?) keeps them consumed.
their twilight years. KEY FOODS: Brown hanging on.
seaweeds (hijiki, O Mostly organic KEY FOODS: Shellfish KEY FOODS: Black
KEY FOODS: Wild wakame, kombu), and local (clams, mussels, KEY FOODS: Oily fish beans, corn torti-
greens, olive oil, bitter melon, lobster); sheep’s/ like salmon and llas, winter squash,
chickpeas, lentils, turmeric, tofu, O Heavy on whole goat’s milk; toma- herring, whole ginger, eggs, yucca,
black-eyed peas, sweet potato, lots grains toes, almonds, fava grains like rye and plantains, yams,
lemons, goat-milk of all forms of pork, beans, chickpeas, buckwheat, berries, tropical fruits
cheese, potatoes, garlic, green tea, The lifestyle flatbread, saffron, peas, oats, yoghurt, (bananas, papaya,
tomatoes, wild brown rice fennel, red wine root vegetables mango, guava,
mushrooms, sage, O Not much smoking peach palms)
rosemary DISH TO TRY: Goya O Close family DISH TO TRY: Fregola DISH TO TRY: Fiskbul-
chanpuru: stir-fried sarda con arselle e lar med rotmos och DISH TO TRY: Gallo
DISH TO TRY: Hortopi- bitter melon, egg, connections zafferano: semo- ärtor: fish cakes pinto: rice, black
ta: phyllo pie made tofu, and thinly O Regular social lina pasta with with mashed beans, fried egg,
with wild greens sliced pork clams and saffron rutabaga and peas and corn tortillas
engagement
O Constant

moderate
physical activity

20 MEN’S FITNESS MAY/JUN 2021

Eat toWin Live longer

Loma Linda’s Seventh Grazie,
Day Adventists Rosemary!
thrive on fresh foods,
whole grains — and not QThe diet of the
an ounce of meat. seventh “blue
zone”, the Italian
coastal town of
Acciaroli, is like that of
most of southern Italy,
but with one addition:
wild rosemary, eaten
all day, every day. The
local herb’s intense
aroma suggests it has
even more antibac-
terial, antioxidant,
anti-inflammatory,
and circulatory and
memory-boosting
properties than
ordinary rosemary.
Bonus: Dried rose-
mary retains most of
the nutrients of fresh.

Tip

Buy organic rosemary
to avoid nutrient-killing
irradiation.

LOMA LINDA,
CALIFORNIA, USA

Q Loma Linda has
one of the world’s
largest concentra-
tions of Seventh
Day Adventists,
who — believing the
body and soul to be
one — spurn meat,
most rich foods,
booze, cigs, and caf-
feine. But some do
eat fish — and, sorry,
Adventist vegans,
but pesco-vegetar-
ian Adventists live
longer than you do.

KEY FOODS: Whole
grains (oats, barley,
quinoa), beans, len-
tils, peas, chickpeas,
citrus, whole-wheat
bread, almonds,
soy milk, salmon,
avocado

DISH TO TRY: Black-
bean burger with
avocado and tomato

MAY/JUN 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 21

Eat toWin Fast fuel

Españainapan

CREATE AN INCREDIBLY HEARTY, PROTEIN-PACKED ONE-POT FEAST BY UPDATING THE MOST DELICIOUS
(AND ICONIC) OF ALL SPANISH DISHES — PAELLA — WITH A HEALTHY WHOLE GRAIN

BY TOBY AMIDOR / PHOTOGRAPH BY LINDA XIAO

Q The dish paella (pro- Exotic Saffron Packs a Punch Shrimp Paella
nounced pa-AY-yuh) is (in more ways than one) with Quinoa and
actually named for the shallow Edamame
cooking pan in which it’s made Just a bit turns a boring plate into a
and served. Paella originated memorable meal. And luckily for your wallet, SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER
in Spain, where centuries ago a little goes a long, long way. SERVES: 4
farmers would throw together PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
white rice and any proteins they Saffron may be Q Think of saffron isn’t difficult to COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES
could find, and cook them over expensive, but this as the truffle of do, since just a bit
an open fire in the fields where tasty, healthy spice the spice king- will be plenty for INGREDIENTS
they worked. Over time, paella is worth the price. dom. The fra- pretty much any
evolved into a masterpiece of grant red strands, dish. According 1 tbsp olive oil
Spanish cuisine: A dish typically harvested from to Alex Raij, Chef Food styling by Hadas Smirnoff; Prop styling by Maeve Sheridan; Saffron: Givaga/Getty
made with white rice; a variety of the stigma of the and Co-owner of 2 garlic cloves, minced
seafood (shrimp! mussels! lob- saffron crocus US-based NYC’s La
ster!) and/or meat (chicken, cho- flower and then Vara restaurant, 1 medium yellow onion,
rizo); a flavour base (sofrito) of cured, are essen- always buy whole chopped
garlic, onions, peas, and toma- tial to the flavour strands of saffron,
toes; and a sprinkling of saf- of many Spanish not the pre-ground ½ tsp dried thyme
fron. But white rice isn’t the dishes. But saf- variety, which
optimum carb for health-con- fron isn’t just might be cut with ½ tsp fennel seeds
scious guys; and what’s a meal powerfully tasty, marigolds. Ugh.
without plenty of veggies? So it’s also mega- How to use saf- ¼ tsp each salt and
we’ve put together this bet- healthy, packed fron: Before adding ground black pepper
ter-for-you paella by swapping with a carotenoid it to a dish, crum-
out rice for quinoa, the king of called crocin — ble the strands in Pinch saffron threads
whole grains, and adding tasty an antioxidant your fingers so (crush between fingers
edamame — a nutritious green that helps fight the fragrance is just before use)
soybean — to make a healthy, cancer, stabilise distributed evenly.
protein-rich meal that’s lower in blood sugar, and It’s particularly 1 can no-salt-added
carbs, calories, fat, and sodium. promote memory tantalising when diced tomatoes
And for four more great veggie- retention. Since added first to a
boosted paellas using quinoa, saffron is also pan of sizzling 3 cups low-sodium
farro, buckwheat and sorghum. one of the priciest oil, which really vegetable broth
spices you’ll ever wakes up a dish,
come across you’ll Raij says. Store • 450g peeled, deveined
want to exercise it in an airtight large shrimp
restraint when container in a cool,
you use it — which dry place. 1½ cups quinoa

EXPERT TIP Q Want to make a super authentic paella from Valencia, Spain, the proud birthplace of this 1 cup shelled edamame

Pull a rabbit ultra-versatile dish? Then head straight for the rabbit. Top chefs often name famous Spanish DIRECTIONS
paella out of chef Josefa Navarro’s simple rabbit paella as the best paella in the world; and many American
your hat students studying in Valencia have been welcomed their first day with a traditional rabbit 1) Heat oil in a large skil-
paella, cooked over an open fire and bestowed upon them by their host family as if it were a let over medium heat.
gift from the Spanish magi. And cooked right, it is. Because rabbit isn’t just delicious — it tastes When it’s shimmering,
a bit like chicken (no kidding) but with a slightly “wilder” flavour. It’s also a nutritional slam add garlic and onion
dunk: A super lean meat, it has more protein and less fat than chicken, veal, turkey, lamb, beef, and cook until soft and
and pork and half the calories of lamb or beef. If you don’t have a local butcher who sells rab- translucent, about
bit, you can swop out rabbit for something a little easier to find, like say, chicken. 3 minutes.

2) Add thyme, fennel
seed, salt, pepper, and
saffron; stir to com-
bine. Add tomatoes
and broth.

3) Raise heat to high and
bring mixture to a boil.
Then reduce heat to
low, cover, and simmer
2 minutes.

4) Raise heat to medium
and add shrimp; cook
for 5 minutes.

5) Add quinoa and eda-
mame and raise heat
till mixture comes to a
boil, then reduce to low
and simmer, covered,
till shrimp and quinoa
are cooked through
(20 to 25 minutes).

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

Calories: 445,
Protein: 30g,
Carbs: 56g, Fat: 10g

22 MEN’S FITNESS MAY/JUN 2021

3 Tips for Cooking a Great Paella

From expert Sarah Jay, who runs one of the best, most authen-
tic online sources for all things paella, paellapans.com:

1) Use a real 2) Don’t stir it once 3) Eat the paella
paella pan. the liquid is boiling. straight out of
the pan.
Q To develop Q As paella cooks, the
Q Traditionally, the
maximum flavour, grains should form a
paella needs to cook loose connection. If whole paella pan is
in a thin layer — that’s you stir it then, it dis- brought to the table,
why paella pans from rupts this network, where everyone claims
Spain are wide and changing the texture of a spot in front of it
shallow but not too the grain — and the final and digs right in. Try
deep. As an alterna- dish. So if the grain’s it, and you’ll find the
tive, use the largest in and the liquid’s bub- eating more fun, com-
sauté pan you have. bling, hands off! munal, and delicious.

MAY/JUN 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 23

Eat toWin Fit Chef

ASK THE Q&A How can you love food been eating it since I
WINE HACKER but stay so fit? was a year old. And
The model cook it’s so versatile! Make
JEFFREY SCHILLER, I don’t understand that a smaller piece of
AUTHOR OF WINE HACK: Ex-pro swimmer, runway strutter, and underwear I don’t understand that chicken with a mound
WINE EDUCATION THAT aficionado Franco Noriega is building an organic- “Don’t trust a skinny of quinoa and you’re
STARTS WITH YOUR chicken empire by Nils Bernstein chef” stereotype. I good to go. Throw it
MOUTH, NOT WITH YOUR don’t want to eat what with chopped tomatoes
HEAD @GONEDRINKIN With Peruvian chef Franco Noriega’s shred- a really unhealthy and it’s quinoa salad.
ded physique — he’s modelled for Dolce & -Gab- guy eats; at the same You can substitute hot
I’ve heard you can bana — and scantily clad YouTube cooking time, I can’t call a salad quinoa for rice, or do
make cheap red demos, you’d think his boy toy rep might overshadow “dinner” and be happy. dessert — quinoa pud-
wine taste more his kitchen cred. But at Baby Brasa, his US-based For a real meal, I want ding’s delicious.
expensive by whip- Manhattan pollería, the food takes centre stage. A trib- a beautiful protein and
ping it in a blender. ute to taste, nutrition, and affordability, Baby Brasa super clean sides: What do you eat for
Is that really a thing? offers organic rotisserie chicken, creative salads, and yucca, sweet potatoes, breakfast?
sides that all redefine fast food for the fitness minded. quinoa, lentils. With the First I have green tea
MARK MADISON, CAPE TOWN We asked Noriega how he stays in model shape. restaurant, it’s all my with two tablespoons
favourite things in one of apple cider vinegar,
Q Putting wine in a place. and wait 30 minutes.
Then I usually do a
blender — let’s call it Baby Brasa’s chicken shake with almond
“aggressive decanting” is all-organic. Why? milk or açaí; and I have
— is an old winemaker’s tons of things on the
trick to simulate how I ate organic in Peru, counter — maca root,
the wine would taste where everything is goji berries, bee pollen,
after ageing. It can organic and local. almond butter — so I
make a cheap wine When I came to the add whatever’s there,
taste better, but only US, I started gaining with maybe banana or
to a degree. weight, feeling tired, avocado.
getting sick. I mean, we
How does decanting are what we eat. I want Any tips for guys who
work? First, most of food to taste good, but think “eating healthy”
what you experience I also want to feel good. is boring?
in wine is its aromas. At the restaurant, we I enjoy every single
When the compounds pay three times more bite I take. Having to
that create these for organic chicken eat something bland or
aromas hit oxygen, they than regular. At first — I boring just to get there
fully release for your really wanted to make body-wise — for me it’s
nose to detect. a profit! — I cooked an not worth it. You can
organic chicken and a still have great food and
Oxygen also mellows steroid chicken at the look f#cking great.
tannins, molecules same time, and it was
from the oak your wine like two different pro- How do you work out?
is aged in, which make teins. The difference I ride my bike or skate-
wine bitter. was so f#cking clear. board across the bridge
If you roast organic into Manhattan two or
Of course, if you’re chicken with only a three times a day, so my
patient, a more practi- little salt, it’s delicious. cardio’s covered. And I
cal alternative to using But if you do that with go to the gym five times
a blender is to empty a regular supermarket a week. I love it, but I’m
the bottle into any chicken, it’s horrible. learning how important
container — decanter, rest days are, whether
pitcher, bucket — that What’s your favourite you want to get bigger
will maximise air con- ingredient or side? or slim down.
tact with the surface,
splash it around, then Quinoa is an unbeliev-
let it sit for half an hour. able superfood. I’ve
(Don’t want to serve
from a bucket? Funnel Decanting red wine W H AT ’ S Q “Aquafaba”, a name made up to conjure something more fabulous than
it back into the bottle.) makes it taste even THE DEAL
“chickpea juice”, is simply cooking water or canned liquid from chickpeas
Decanting is really more appealing WITH... or other legumes (like beans, peas, or lentils) that’s been beaten into a
for rare wines that stiff froth for use as a vegan substitute for eggs or egg whites. Because
have been cooped up in Aquafaba? its emulsifying properties are similar to that of eggs, it can be used raw or From top: Sandra Arenas; Sam Kaplan
a bottle five-plus years cooked, in sweet or savoury foods from waffles to mousse — it even makes
and need to be woken a decent-tasting vegan mayo. Just don’t try scrambling the stuff — it’s best
up. So, your R60 bottle in dishes where eggs are just one of the ingredients, not the leading lady.
of cab? It won’t turn To make aquafaba, drain the liquid from canned or cooked chickpeas or
into a 90-pointer, but it white beans (they have the most neutral flavour), and whip it. When it’s the
will be more appealing. consistency of egg whites, it’s done; if it’s too watery, boil it down a little.
Three tablespoons (about 10 calories) replaces one egg.

24 MEN’S FITNESS MAY/JUN 2021

Eat toWin Diet hacks

THE FLAB Saladbar Our “bar” fight winners
BLASTER smackdown
In our head-to-head salad contest, the ingredi-
FAT-LOSS TIPS FROM After all the holiday meals, braais, social parties, and ents highlighted in green came out on top:
THE WORLD’S MOST comfort-food binges, most of us are ready to race back
FAMOUS TRAINER to the salvation of the salad bar. The huge choice of Spinach O R Mixed mesclun
ingredients can be daunting, though, so we compared Spinach is packed with vitamins — not the case
BY GUNNAR PETERSON the most popular salad fixings to see which have the with mesclun, a combo of less nutritious greens.
(@GUNNAR) fewest calories, the most nutrients, and the best chance
of keeping you full all day. Chicken O R Steak
What’s the minimum Three times leaner, with half the calories and more
amount of exercise Winter hibernation
I can do and still see is over—you need a protein, chicken easily beats steak.
results? big bowl of something
fresh and healthy. Kidney beans O R Black beans
JACK D, JOHANNESBURG All beans are similar in nutrients, but we give black
From top: Jens Mortensen/Gallery Stock; TVK888/Getty; Juliachka/Getty beans the edge for slightly higher protein and fibre.
Q What year did
Tofu O R Egg
you graduate from While tofu wins “calories by weight”, near-
the University of perfect eggs have more protein and vitamins.
Underachievement?
Seriously, “the mini- Salmon O R Tuna
mum” — that’s what you Tuna is a bit leaner and has more protein, but
want to know? As my salmon has near triple the heart-smart omega-3s.
friend Zach Even-Esh,
from the Underground Cheddar O R Feta
Strength Gym, says, Feta has about half the calories of cheddar and is
the way you do any-
thing is the way you do almost 30% lower in fat.
everything. Think about
that: If you look for Cauliflower O R Broccoli
the minimum you have These veggies are similar in calories, but broccoli
to do, you’ll get the
minimum out of it. And has more calcium, iron, and vitamins C and K.
that’s across the board
— you’ll always leave Almonds O R Walnuts
something on the table You can’t go wrong with nuts, but almonds have
and never reach your
full potential. So, fine: better macros for fat, protein, and vitamin E.
If you follow the US
Department of Health Bacon O R Ham
and Human Services’ An easy choice: Bacon has almost five times the
recommendation to get fat of ham and more than three times the calories!
at least 150 minutes
of moderate (or 75 Tomatoes O R Carrots
minutes of vigorous) Tomatoes ace out carrots for their slightly better
aerobic activity a
week, and pair that carbs and calories (and, IOHO, taste).
with a decent diet and
adequate sleep, you Beets O R Red cabbage
won’t become morbidly These two are much the same in nutrients, but we
obese. Or you can aim pick red cabbage for more vitamin A, B , C, and K.
for 45 to 90 minutes a
day, five to six days a 6
week, with workouts
that combine multi-joint Dried cranberries O R Raisins
strength moves and Though similar in macros, raisins have less sugar—
high-intensity intervals
(plus some steady- dried cranberries often have added sugar!
state cardio before or
after), and eat clean Order a You’ve been Chop’t!
food, drink lots of diet-friendly
water, and shoot for salad—by If you’re heading to one of the trendy salad shops and want a low-calorie
eight hours of sleep choosing option that’s good for you, try these hacks:
a night, and see what from our list
those results look like. of champs. Chop’t Sweetgreen Just Salad
Your life, your choice!
PORTION Mexicali Vegan (360 Spicy Sabzi (440 cal): Mediterranean Mix
OF THE cal): Ask them to hold Ask for red cabbage (570 cal): Switch out
MONTH the romaine, add more instead of beets and the romaine for spin-
spinach, and swap in tomatoes in place of ach and the pita chips
¼ CUP ALMONDS walnuts for chips. carrots. for pumpkin seeds.
=

1 GOLF BALL

MAY/JUN 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 25

Learn It! Tipsandtacticsforlivingsmarter

Close
doortohne
clutter

ONE EXTREMELY MESSY MAN
EMBRACES THE GREAT UNKNOWN:

AN ULTRA-CLEAN, HYPER ORGAN-
ISED, AND “JOYOUS” APARTMENT

The less junky your
junk-filled closet is, the
happier you’ll be, says
the wildly popular
KonMari Method.

As an unmarried man who works really hard, travels a ton, and leads an active social life, I’ve come to accept several less-than-awesome
realities about my daily existence. (For starters: I eat way too much take-out, I’m constantly forgetting my toothbrush on trips, and
these days, I could probably consume a few less sugary cocktails.) But if there’s one piece of man-on-the-go collateral damage I simply
can’t accept, it’s the increasingly gnarly state of my apartment. In recent months, I’ve found myself engaged in a daily battle against
the black hole of my storage closet, the mountain of mismatched clothes scattered across various pieces of furniture, and the towering
pile of envelopes on my desk. When it took me a full hour to locate my hiking boots (in a kitchen cupboard?) I realised: Holy shit, I’m
messy — and I need an intervention. So, I reached out to Patty Morrissey, a Jedi-level practitioner of the ultra-hot KonMari Method
of streamlining your life — inspired by the ultra-popular book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Declut-
tering, by Marie Kondo — for her to whip me into shape. Here’s what I learned.

26 MEN’S FITNESS MAY/JUN 2021

By Jeff Wilser

1) Keep only what brings you joy Soon I get to my hiking boots: Joy. home — I’m still working — you can
Backpack: Joy. Passport: Joy, joy, feel immediate results. Bite-size
“Let’s start with your clothes”, says joy. At a gut level, I realise how much chunks have value.
Patty. She instructs me to put every adventure travel means to me. I’m
article of clothing — winter coats, now headed to a trek in the mountains 8) You will like your stuff more when
underwear, bathing suits, the works of Thailand — not a coincidence. you have less of it
— into a pile on my living room floor. Changes like this are why Kondo
Good God. She calls this the “power of claims in her book that “many of my One category is especially tough for
the pile”, since it forces you to confront clients remark that they have lost me: books. I blanched at the idea of
how much you truly own. The Kondo weight or firmed up their tummies. It’s losing a single paperback, but I duti-
principle is dead simple: Touch every a very strange phenomenon, but when fully went through each and every
single item. Feel it. Think about it. we reduce what we own and essentially novel and was embarrassed to find
Ask yourself, does it bring me joy? If ‘detox’ our house, it has a detox effect stacks that I had never read. “If you
it does, keep it. If not, ditch it. Patty on our bodies as well”. missed your chance to read a particu-
hands me an old fleece sweatshirt. lar book… this is your chance to let
“What do you think about this?” she 5) Never ball your socks it go”, Kondo explains. “Get rid of all
asks in a neutral voice. I haven’t worn those unread books.” So I did. And
it in years, and it doesn’t bring me joy. Kondo views balled-up socks as the then something unexpected hap-
Gone. devil’s work, since they are “always in a pened: Now I love my bookshelves.
state of tension, their fabric stretched They seem to sparkle. The only books
2) Saying thank-you to and their elastic pulled… what treat- that remain are the ones I really like,
garbage is weird but fun ment could be worse than this?” Patty so every time I glance in its direction,
instructs me to fold everything. On the bookshelves jolt me with a pick-
Before I toss the sweatshirt, Patty asks a philosophical level, the point is to me-up. Now extrapolate this sensa-
me to thank it for its many years of treat your possessions with respect, tion with everything you own, and the
service. This is a pillar of the Kondo which extends their lives and provides results can be, well, magical. Q
method, as it helps you get closure greater pleasure. On a more basic
on the items you discard. “Thank you level, now my socks don’t slide to my Jeff Wilser is the author of Alexander Hamilton’s Guide to
for keeping me warm when I jogged ankles. Win. Life. Twitter: @JeffWilser
to the gym, sweatshirt”, I actually say
out loud. This is goofy but strangely 6) Sorting your stuff Before I toss the old
empowering. In total, I stuffed 11 bags helps sort your past sweatshirt, Patty tells
with clothes, which I donated to char- me to thank it for its
ity. I hold a coffee mug from an ex-girl- years of service. Closure
friend. Joy? I’ve been lugging that is crucial, preach KonMari
3) Decluttering will nudge sucker around for years, never using practitioners.
you to upgrade it but never quite having the guts to
throw it out. “Thank you for remind-
I have a knife rack in my kitchen. It’s ing me of the good times we had, coffee
the kind that hangs on the wall. To be mug”, I say, gently placing it in the
honest, it looks kind of cool, but the trash. Kondo frowns upon clinging to
knives are dull, and I never use them. I the items that bring us pain. The focus
hold a knife in my hand. Does it bring is now on the present, not the past.
me joy? In its current condition…
no. But what if I get it sharpened? I 7) This is not an overnight process
did just that. Now the knives get me
excited to cook, and more cooking “You wouldn’t hire a personal trainer
(and less Chinese take-out) means to give you a hot body in four hours”,
healthier eating. Tiny upgrades can Patty tells me. It’s a journey. Kondo
have domino effects. suggests that the entire process can
take six months, but I’ve found that
4) Your stuff gives clues to your values even before you finish your entire

MAY/JUN 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 27

Burn It! Theguy’sguidetospendingmoney Anders Overgaard/ Trunk Archive

The Seven Rules of

ROOM
SERVICE

On your next getaway, navigate
in-room dining like a true pro
(and never drop R120 on a bland
club sandwich again)

SHOW HER YOUR
ROOM-SERVICE
SAVVY AND REAP

THE REWARDS.

NOTHING SAYS “I’M ON VACATION” LIKE

chilling in your best borrowed terrycloth
robe, waiting for someone to deliver a
tray of fresh-cooked, delicious food right
to your room. But I know what you’re
thinking: Room service? It’s the hotel
bogeyman! The food sucks, and it’s way
overpriced. And the minibar? Don’t even
think about it, unless you want to spend
R60 on a domestic beer. Well, you can
listen to the haters about in-room dining
(IRD), or you can start getting smart
about it. With that in mind, I called
some hotshot hospitality insiders to get
their secrets for hacking the system and
scoring a killer meal every single time.
And I compiled their advice into the
definitive Seven Rules of Room Service.

28 MEN’S FITNESS MAY/JUN 2021

by Mark Ellwood

1) Pick up the phone! 3) While we’re talking about breakfast: 5) Don’t order when it’s raining
Order your eggs like a damn lumberjack
It’s an automated world these days, and Lisa Brefere says hotels can “really get
fancy hotels are increasingly equipped Here’s a fun fact from chef Lisa Brefere: screwed” by a deluge of orders during a
with bedside tablets loaded with apps Only 1% or less of orders are placed for downpour and will often commandeer
for ordering room service. But go old- lunch, 30% for dinner — but the staffers from other departments to man
school, brother. “The person on the majority arrive at breakfast time. So, at the kitchen. Translation: Your dinner
phone will tell you honestly the best 7am, kitchens are overloaded. Eggs are might well be prepped by someone with
dishes to order, because they know it will left idling and congealing before they’re no better culinary kudos than you have.
affect the tip for the waiter”, says Lisa delivered (even ickier, they’re likely
Brefere, a former hotel chef who now made from defrosted liquid eggs rather 6) Don’t tip twice, dumbass
runs her own consulting firm, GigaChef. than fresh-cracked and free-range). So
the best way to guarantee quality and Hidden fees are virtually everywhere in
Now, I know this defeats the purpose rapid delivery is to ask for your eggs hotels. When you order, ask the operator
of “room service”, but if you slid on some sunnyside up. It forces the chef to use if there’s a delivery charge — it’s usually
slippers and padded down to the hotel’s actual eggs, and the servers to deliver a couple of bucks — and whether it’s
main restaurant to order directly, that them quickly before they visibly levied per order or per person. And, by
would be even better. A dirty secret: congeal. god, don’t be fooled by the extra gratuity
Head Chefs usually cook for the big line either. Mark my words: Ninety-nine
seated restaurant, and humble trainees 4) For dinner, go Big Paleo. Trust me. percent of in-room dining orders will
handle the in-room dining. So, if you already include a generous gratuity.
want your food prepped right, order at Hotels make the slimmest profit on the Usually around 21–22%.
the restaurant and ask them to bring it highest-priced items on the menu. That
up to your room. They will. means, believe it or not, all of the high- 7) Buy your minibar at check-in
protein treats are the best value at your
2) Say no to room-service coffee typical hotel. I’m talking veal, lamb, and Minibars are increasingly falling out of
especially filet mignon. But when you’re fashion. There are multiple reasons:
For starters, it’s a rip-off. Veteran hotel ordering a steak to your room, ask for it Charges are easily disputed at check-
GM Anthony Arbeeny calls it the “all- one shade rarer than you’d usually eat, out, and customers are getting savvy
time No. 1 profit generator” because of because while it’s en route in the hotel’s about their astronomical mark-ups. But
the insane mark-up. To make matters warming trolley, it will continue to cook. why deprive yourself of that late-night
worse, it’s shitty coffee, filled from the If you’re hungry en route to your lodging can of ice-cold beer, especially on
kitchen’s giant urns that have been late at night, be sure to pre-order and vacation? Some hotels, allow you to buy
brewing longer than the Middle East ask for that grilled steak to be ready and the whole thing at a markdown
peace accords. The same goes for the waiting when you arrive. Otherwise, the beforehand. So do yourself a favour:
“fancy” French press. More often than kitchen will be closed and you’ll be stuck Treat yourself. Q
not, say my experts, the kitchen simply with a cold club.
adds a few grounds to the press, then Mark Ellwood is the author of Bargain Fever:
tops it with coffee from aforementioned FOR THE ULTIMATE DO’S AND DONT’S OF ROOM- How to Shop in a Discounted World.
urn. But since we all need that morning SERVICE DINING, VISIT MENSFITNESS.CO.ZA/TRAVEL.
jolt, I recommend travelling with an
Aeropress (R689) and a small bag of
grounds; it makes a great brew with just
a little hot water.

MAY/JUN 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 29

The Active Guy’s Guide to Style and Grooming

PeTrhefectFit

The
Winter

WARRIOR

30 MEN’S FITNESS MAY/JUN 2021

MAY/JUN 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 31

3322 MMEENN’’SS FFI ITTNNEESSS S MAA PY /RJIULN/ 2M0A2Y1 2 0 2 0

A P R I LM/ AMYA/ JYU N2 02 20 201 MMEENN’ ’SS FFIITT NN EE SS SS 33 33

3344 MMEENN’’SS FFI ITTNNEESSS S MAA PY /RJIULN/ 2M0A2Y1 2 0 2 0

A P R I LM/ AMYA/ JYU N2 02 20 201 MMEENN’ ’SS FFIITT NN EE SS SS 33 55

3366 MMEENN’’SS FFI ITTNNEESSS S MAA PY /RJIULN/ 2M0A2Y1 2 0 2 0

A P R I LM/ AMYA/ JYU N2 02 20 201 MMEENN’ ’SS FFIITT NN EE SS SS 33 77

38 MEN’S FITNESS MAY/JUN 2021

Leading biohackers, US Special
Forces, NASA, and the most
accomplished exercise physiologist
on the planet all agree on one thing:
That a strict low-carb, high-fat
“ketogenic diet” won’t just help
you lose weight, exercise more
efficiently, feel better, and generally
improve your life (and even your
chances of getting to Mars!) — it
may also fight cancer and wipe out
diabetes forever. The only wrinkle?
It’s not for the faint of heart.

BY TYLER GRAHAM

PHOTOGRAPHS BY LEVI BROWN

HOW THE
KETO DIET
CHANGES
EVERYTHING

MAY/JUN 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 39

Timothy Noakes, MD, is an To high-performing athletes, Noakes preaches that the bedrock
tenet of endurance athletic nutrition — that winning performance
T emeritus professor in the Division is best fueled by eating lots of carbohydrates — is simply wrong.
of Exercise Science and Sports Instead, he believes athletes can alter their bodies so that their
Medicine at the University of metabolism burns fat as a primary fuel source, a physiological
process known as ketosis, either from stored body fat or from the
Cape Town. He’s one of the foods they eat every day.

most accomplished exercise For non-athletes and anyone trying to lose weight or keep it off,
Noakes’ advice is that eating a high-fat diet, with few if any refined
physiologists on the planet. You can’t walk by a restaurant carbs and as little sugar as possible, will switch on the same fat-
burning system and keep your body lean and your weight stable
in Cape Town that doesn’t offer a “Noakes option” — say, without making you hungry. According to Noakes and a growing
number of nutritionists, physiologists, and biohackers, when you’re
an avocado stuffed with breakfast sausage and eggs, in a state of ketosis — best attained through a strict “ketogenic diet”
— good things happen.
or a double cheeseburger with lettuce sans bun — and
Sometimes, amazingly good things.
evidence of his teachings seems to be everywhere, mostly Two years ago, NBA’s LeBron James famously lost 11 kilograms
and upped his late-game endurance by cutting carbs and sugars
in the form of our nation’s best-known athletes, including from his diet. Tim Ferriss, the author of the Four-Hour self-
improvement book series, followed a strict keto diet to cure his
ageless golfing legend Gary Player and eight-time Ironman Lyme disease, and performs a long multi-day fast every four
months as a means, he says, of pushing ketosis further and starving
World Champion Paula Newby-Fraser. In fact, Noakes is a incipient pre-cancerous cells of sugar (more on that later). Not too
long ago, Sami Inkinen, the ultra-fit co-founder of American real
celebrity these days, he’s even been pulled into South African estate juggernaut Trulia, rowed with his wife from California to
Hawaii in record time on a keto diet, to promote high-fat eating
presidential politics: To echo the country’s papers of record, and raise awareness about the dangers of too much sugar. The Keto

“Is President Jacob Zuma’s and his wife’s dramatic weight

loss a result of the Noakes Diet?” No one is sure about the

president, but his wife, definitely: She’s lost 30 kilograms

following the Noakes plan.

The Eat This, Not That!
Guide to the Ketogenic Diet

Good news: No carbs, no sugars, C AT E G O R Y Some are found in coconut
Bacon is no fruits. And all oil, but you can buy a
keto-friendly. proteins aren’t FATS concentrated form of
(Bad news: created equal. MCT oil.
You shouldn’t Confused? Read on. EAT THIS! Saturated
eat a lot of it.) fats including coconut NOT THAT! Refined
BY ADAM BIBLE oil, ghee, grass-fed fats and oils like
40 MEN’S FITNESS MAY/JUN 2021 butter, duck fat, tallow, sunflower, canola,
The and lard, all essential soybean, grapeseed,
for a healthy immune and corn oils, which have
T ketogenic system, dense bones, been processed at high
diet can be and proper testosterone temperatures, creating
dizzyingly levels; monounsaturated free radicals that can
complicated. You want fats like olive, avocado, damage cells; and trans
to load up on fats and macadamia, and almond fats, such as margarine
protein and keep your oils, which boost heart and other spreads, which
carb intake low— but health and provide vitamin contribute to weight gain,
all fats and proteins E, important for vision increase stroke risk.
aren’t alike, and there and a strong immune
are some veggies system; polyunsaturated C AT E G O R Y
higher in carbohydrates omega-3s, such as wild-
than others. Oh, and caught salmon, sardines, PROTEINS
fruit (fruit!) is pretty and sustainably harvested
much banned. But seafood, to prevent heart EAT THIS! Meat and offal
don’t worry: We’ve put disease and stroke and (e.g, tongue, liver, heart)
together the best and reduce blood pressure; from grass-fed or pasture-
worst of each category and medium-chain raised animals — it’s low
so you can go Keto with triglycerides (MCTs), in calories and contains
confidence. fatty acids that are easily vitamins like A and E along
absorbed and used for with tons of antioxidants;
energy. Linked to weight wild-caught and
loss, MCTs increase satiety sustainably harvested
and rev up metabolism. seafood, which is higher
in omega-3 fatty acids and

stories and offers his own food for thought: “Consumption of refined

your metabolism and transition to an upgraded operating system. grains, sweets and desserts, sugared drinks, and deep-fried foods

You’ll ultimately feel better and perform better, and your body fat = more heart disease” or “Truth wins in the end. But it takes time”.

will plummet.

But this sort of “low-carbohydrate, high-fat” (LCHF) diet, The healthy ultramarathoner who

as Noakes calls it, is still far from mainstream. It takes serious Sex with a Porn Star or a Run Through Bavaria: You Decide

dedication to drop your daily total carb intake to below 50 grams (or

20 to 30g of net carbs, which are sans fibre), the equivalent of a single Noakes’ war on sugar goes back a generation, to when his father

cup of brown rice. The United States Department of Agriculture developed type-2 diabetes. Type-2 is a disease in which the body

Dietary Guidelines were changed to mention the need to limit intake gradually loses its ability to regulate blood sugar through the

of added sugars and refined carbs like bread, rice, pasta, cookies, and production of the hormone insulin. It’s linked to genetics, but also

crackers, which spike blood sugar more rapidly than candy. Check to diet — particularly sugar and refined carbs — as well as obesity

the label of nearly any sports drink, and it’s most and inactivity. Diabetes experts estimate that the

likely loaded with natural or added sugar. Go to the disease speeds up the ageing process by roughly a

grocery store today and the labels are awash with the third, damaging the body from the inside out. Too

message of “low fat”, “no fat”, or “zero fat”. much blood sugar slowly destroys blood vessels,

Meanwhile, Noakes continues preaching that the with results ranging from mild — early wrinkling

right kinds of fats — the ones our bodies evolved to of skin — to catastrophic: Heart disease, blindness,

process, like animal fat and butter, olive and coconut stroke, amputations due to poor circulation, and

oil (but not vegetable oils like corn oil and soybean even Alzheimer’s disease (more on that later).

oil) — are extremely healthy. Noakes titled his 2012 Noakes’ father eventually died from type-2,

autobiography Challenging Beliefs, and, at age 67, but because Noakes himself followed a low-fat

he’s publicly waging a war against carbs and sugar diet, exercised regularly (he’s run upward of 70

from his Twitter account, @ProfTimNoakes, where marathons, as well as a handful of ultras), and

he chimes in every few hours and has churned out Carb killer. When South African didn’t smoke, he figured he’d be spared.
more than 27 000 tweets since 2012. exercise physiologist Tim Noakes
went keto, he dropped from 101 to
Noakes constantly retweets the latest nutrition 81kg - his high school weight.

better for the environment veggies, like cabbage, cream, sour cream, C AT E G O R Y C AT E G O R Y C AT E G O R Y
than farmed fish; and free- cauliflower, broccoli, goat cheese, and other
range, organic eggs, and brussels sprouts; cheeses. Note: Dairy NUTS AND SEEDS DRINKS SWEETS
which contain higher levels nightshades, like eggplant, should be eaten sparingly,
of vitamin A and E, beta- tomatoes, and peppers; but when you do eat it, stick EAT THIS! Macadamia DRINK THIS! Water, EAT THIS! Sweeteners
Carotene, and omega-3 root vegetables, like onion, with full-fat, as it’s more nuts, pecans, walnuts, sparkling water, black like stevia, erythritol,
fatty acids than the farmed garlic, and radishes, and filling and nutritious. almonds, flax seeds, and coffee, unsweetened and xylitol can be made a
variety. sea veggies, like nori and sunflower seeds. Be and herbal teas, part of your keto diet, but
kombu. The guidelines are NOT THAT! Milk — but careful when eating nuts, unsweetened nut milks, try to buy only the pure
NOT THAT! Factory- simple: Focus on dark, leafy not cheese — is off the as they’re calorie-dense wine, light beer, and versions, as the powdered
farmed animal products greens, then the stuff that list because it contains and can easily put you over liquor. Caffeine is fine for products usually have
and seafoods, which grows above the ground, a lot of lactose, a form your carb limit for the day. most people — just don't a small amount of sugar
are lower in nutrients then root vegetables. of sugar, which makes it go pouring in sugar or added as a bulking agent;
and often worse for the high in carbohydrates. NOT THAT! Cashews, milk; the same goes for tea inulin is a sweet and
environment than their NOT THAT! Starchy, When cheese is made, pistachios, and chestnuts and nut milk. Lower-carb starchy plant fibre that
healthier counterparts; high-carb vegetables, all the sugar is eaten by are on the higher end for alcohol in moderation is helps regulate blood
and processed sausages like potatoes, peas, corn, bacteria and turned into carbs in nuts, and should okay, especially if you’re at sugar; monk fruit
and hotdogs, which, yucca, parsnips, beans, lactic acid, cutting the be avoided. the point where you’re just powder is 300 times
more often than not, have yams, and legumes are carb content way down. trying to maintain weight. sweeter than sugar and
preservatives called great, nutritious whole Low- and reduced-fat C AT E G O R Y doesn't have a bitter
nitrates that have been foods that work well in the dairy products are to be NOT THAT! Soft drinks, aftertaste like stevia; and
linked to cancer. regular diet of a guy looking avoided as they’re overly FRUITS fruit juices, sweet at least 70% cocoa dark
to get healthy and fit — processed, which strips wines, craft beers, and chocolate and cocoa
C AT E G O R Y however, their elevated out nutrients like the fatty EAT THIS! Avocados flavoured liquor are powder as they’re packed
carbs make them a no-go acids that make you feel are low in carbs and filled with way too much with antioxidants.
VEGETABLES for achieving ketosis. full. Plus, sugar is often have great fat and fibre sugar and/or carbs to be
added to make up for a loss content; berries are okay allowed if you’re serious NOT THAT! Sugar,
EAT THIS! Dark leafy C AT E G O R Y of flavour and texture, so since their carb content about keto. Some people high-fructose corn
greens, like Swiss chard, some actually have more is negligible; and 1 cup of will drink diet, or “zero”, syrup, honey, and
spinach, kale, and lettuce; DAIRY sugar than full-fat dairy. tomatoes has just 6g of soft drinks, but avoid agave nectar need to be
lower-carb veggies, Resist shredded cheese, carbs. them if you can because ditched. Even if honey and
like cucumber, celery, EAT THIS! Full-fat too, as it contains a carby the citric acid and aspar- agave are healthy whole
asparagus, squash, and dairy products, such as potato starch that keeps it NOT THAT! Fruits tame often found in them foods, sugar is still sugar
zucchini; cruciferous yoghurt, cottage cheese, from sticking together. in general, dried or may derail your trip to and will bump you out of
otherwise, are forbidden ketosis. ketosis.
since most have high sugar
and carb content.

MAY/JUN 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 41

To be sure, as he got older he put on some weight, and his energy studies and an action plan for getting lean and maintaining weight
sagged, but he was in good shape. loss. Noakes says he learned more about nutrition that year than
in his previous 42 years as a doctor. “I was 101 kilograms when I
Regardless, in 2010, Noakes was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. picked up that book”, he tells me. “Today, I’m 81. I’ve achieved my
Though he didn’t know it yet, a lifetime of well-intentioned carbo- high school weight and my old running times.”
loading for his athletic endeavours had set him up for a fall.
His new way of eating, he says, also cured his migraines and acid
Not long after he got the news, he happened to receive an e-mail reflux. On top of that, it eliminated spikes in blood sugar, kept his
about a book title The New Atkins for a New You, and realised appetite in check, and allowed his body to burn its own fat
he recognised many of the authors’ names on the cover, which
belonged to respected exercise experts Stephen Phinney, MD, as fuel. After Noakes’ diabetes had reversed course, he wrote
PhD; Jeff Volek, PhD, RD; and Eric Westman, MD. They argued about it for Discovery Health News; that triggered a national
that the late Dr Robert Atkins, who famously promoted a low- debate across South Africa, which is plagued by an epidemic of
carb, high-fat diet in the 1980s — and was routinely lampooned diabetes and its associated conditions.
for promoting eggs, bacon, and cheese as healthy foods that
worked great for weight loss — had been right all along. The Last year, Noakes published his fourth book, The Real Meal
professors backed up their position with more than 50 new dietary Revolution, which explains why high-fat diets work and how to
incorporate them into everyday life. “It’s gone viral”, he says.

The Road to 7% Body Fat What it feels like to go Keto

Putting your FIRST You may feel low on energy, lethargic, and dizzy.
FEW Some people suffer from headaches or flu-like
P body into DAYS symptoms during the first few days or weeks
ketosis — FIRST due to the depletion of muscle glycogen and the
causing it to WEEK lack of glucose. This is the hard part, because
switch from burning carbs SECOND you have to avoid eating carbohydrates to halt
to burning fat for fuel — is WEEK the cycle of glucose-based metabolism, even
a major metabolic change. 3–4 though your glycogen stores are dwindling and
Some people don’t react WEEKS your cravings are probably increasing. Your body
well, while others thrive OUT is used to burning glucose, not fat, for fuel, which
on it and feel more energy. is why — for the first few weeks, while your body
“Low-carb and ketogenic adapts — your energy levels may be down.
diets aren’t for everyone,
so it’s important to listen You’ll likely see a pretty rapid weight loss in
to your body”, says Alissa the first week, though this will be from water
Rumsey, RD, CSCS, of the depletion. Glycogen is attached to water in our
Academy of Nutrition and bodies, so when you lose glycogen, you also
Dietetics, USA. “If after lose water — as much as two-plus kilograms of
a few weeks you still feel just fluid. Your workouts may also suffer during
worse than you did before the first few weeks; many people report a loss
you started, you should of strength and endurance until their bodies
stop and reconsider if become more efficient at using fats for fuel.
it’s the right diet for you.”
Here’s what she says Your body will still be adapting to using fat for
you should expect when fuel, but towards the end of the second week
going keto: and into the third week, you may start to see
increasing energy levels. As glycogen becomes
depleted, your body will start producing ketones
— some of which are excreted in the urine, so
you can now start measuring the levels with keto
test strips (available at ketolife.co.za) to see
if you’re at a low enough level of carbohydrate
restriction.

At this point, if you’ve been keeping your total
carbs to less than 50g per day, you should be
in ketosis. Getting down to 10% body fat, or
even 7% — a truly shredded physique — is totally
doable, depending on your starting percentage.
Your energy levels should start to improve,
though it can take several months for your body
to fully adapt to using fat for fuel. The desire to
eat regularly throughout the day to sustain mental
clarity will have faded, and your muscles will have
access to a near-limitless supply of energy.

42 MEN’S FITNESS MAY/JUN 2021

Cancer cells How to eat in a post
thrive in high-sugar “bonk” world
environments.

On a Keto Diet, your Though higher-fat diets

body will be primed go by many names — most

to fight back. Hard. recently, the well-known

Paleo Diet, as well as the

Zone and the South Beach

Diet, both of which restrict sugary foods and refined carbs —

the Ketogenic Diet has taken the zero-carb and high-fat stance

to a whole new level. It’s especially resonated in the biohacker

community of Silicon Valley, USA.

From an evolutionary standpoint, ketones — molecules formed

by the breakdown of stored fat — are a very important fuel. And

ketosis, the process by which the body uses those fuels, is essential

for survival. Zucch-guini.
A spiralizer turns
Here’s how it works: The body — even that of a very lean athlete zucchini into
tasty “linguini”.
— stores about 40 000 calories of fat compared with just 2000

calories of the carbohydrate glycogen. When those carbs have been

depleted, the body taps its fat stores for energy. The same is true

for athletes who “bonk” during exercise — it’s because they’ve used Four killer
keto dishes
up all their stored carbs. To go on, they must either eat more carbs
Ready to take the keto journey to a tight belly and rippling
(to burn as sugar) or start burning fat. When marathoners break abs, but not so thrilled about having to stay away from your
favourite carbo concoctions? Follow this handy guide from
through the so-called “wall” late in a race, they’ve begun to burn fat. keto master chef Marie Emmerich, author of Quick and Easy
Ketogenic Cooking, and fool your brain—and stomach—with
Thanks to Noakes and other Keto Diet supporters, a growing these low-carb but satisfying replacement dishes.

number of athletes today prefer to be in that state at all times.

Once they make the switch, they say, not only are their race results

and game-day performances better, they report sustained energy,

better moods, and clearer thinking.

Switching from foods that cause chronic illness and make you fat to If you’re craving chicken parm:

foods that keep you permanently lean and energetic without getting 1 Q Use a no-sugar marinara sauce and replace the
carb-laden pasta noodles with thin-sliced chicken
hungry would seem like a no-brainer. But it’s difficult, and most of breast to cut way down on the carbs but still have
a satisfying meal. And make sure you use grass-
us don’t really know what ketosis is like. The average South African fed ground beef for the filling so you get more
vitamins and omega-3s.
today is what nutritionists call “a sugar burner”. We ingest carbs for
If you’re craving pasta:
breakfast, so our blood sugar goes up quickly then comes crashing
2 Q Spend a few bucks on a spiralizer — seriously,
down before lunch, when we get our next carb fix. The process this thing is great for turning veggies into long
noodlelike strands (check amazon.com). To
happens over and over again without our bodies entering ketosis. get your pasta fix without the carbs, make
spaghetti out of a couple of zucchinis, then dress
But getting your body to enter full ketosis is no small feat. it with parmesan cheese — which is high in protein
— and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil.
Imagine forgoing all starchy vegetables, breads, sugary drinks
If you’re craving mashed potatoes:
(including fruit juice), pasta — essentially everything that isn’t
3 Q Chop up a cauliflower head and cook it
meat or a non-starchy vegetable. It’s a tall order that only gets with organic broth and turnips for a few hours.
Then blend it with a handheld immersion blender
taller, because, once you’ve started the process, the body, feeling or in a food processor until smooth. Add chives,
salt, pepper, and butter for guilt-free, low-carb
deprived, undergoes a transition phase often termed the “low- gorging. You won’t be able to tell the difference.

carb flu”. For a few weeks, physical and mental performance — at If you’re craving rice:

work, in the gym — dips noticeably and uncomfortably as the body 4 Q Hit up the versatile cauliflower again to make
a delicious “rice” that has only 5g of carbs per
tries to tap its missing fuel source. Not everyone sticks it out. (For cup compared with cooked white rice’s 45g. To
prepare, chop up the cauliflower head and put
more on what it’s like to go Keto, see “The Road to 7% Body Fat”, the pieces into a food processor; pulse until the
bits are so tiny they resemble rice grains. Fry it
Prop styling by Sarah Guido/Halley Resources opposite page.) all up with soy sauce and a dash of fish sauce for
fried rice, or use it to make your own keto-friendly
There’s a shortcut to ketosis, however: Fasting. If you don’t eat sushi rolls.

for many hours, your body will naturally go into fat-burning mode.

There are many different fasting protocols to get into ketosis, but

the most common is called intermittent fasting, which consists of

not eating for 12 to 16 hours.

For instance, one can eat dinner at 8pm, skip breakfast the next

morning, and eat lunch at noon. Or, like Matt Mattson, PhD, chief

of the Laboratory of Neurosciences at the National Institute on

Aging, USA, you can push it even further: Mattson regularly skips

MAY/JUN 2021 MEN’S FITNESS 43

breakfast and lunch altogether. With no blood sugar spikes metastatic cancers. For a more emphatic take: Leading Boston
and crashes, just steady fat burning, he, like most intermittent College, USA, cancer researcher Thomas Seyfried, MD, believes that
fasters, feels mentally sharp and experiences little if any sense of a ketogenic diet is therapeutically even more valuable in fighting
deprivation. cancer than chemo.

Keto: the official diet of Mars Achieving a ketogenic state could get a lot easier in the coming
years. D’Agostino believes a ketone supplement will be the
But if all of this sounds like too much misery for you, consider breakthrough, making the job of drastically cutting carbs from the
another reason for going keto: Evidence shows that ketosis could diet much easier. His latest creation is KetoCana, which floods the
not only help stave off Alzheimer’s but also help cure cancer. body with ketones and eliminates the symptoms of carbohydrate
withdrawal. (For more about ketone supplements, turn to Page 124.)
A few years ago, Dominic D’Agostino, a PhD and associate
professor at the University of San Francisco, USA, was trying to solve Meanwhile, military researchers are focused on keto diets as well,
a big problem for the Navy SEALs. Military divers, he learned, use a believing soldiers could operate optimally on fewer, denser meals.
device called a rebreather, which is silent and allows for extra-long Currently, America’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency,
dives — but, for reasons that are not yet fully understood, makes Department of Defense, and NASA, are all running ketogenic
divers prone to unpredictable, life-threatening oxygen toxicity experiments. NASA believes the diet will be important for manned
seizures. missions to Mars because it protects against higher levels of
radiation in space by increasing the brain’s resilience to stress. Plus,
While looking for a way to treat these seizures, D’Agostino “the energy density of a ketogenic diet is higher, so you have to carry
stumbled upon the Ketogenic Diet, which also happens to be a less weight”, says D’Agostino.
proven treatment for a possibly related malady; epileptic seizures
in kids. “There are a lot of treatments for epilepsy”, he says, “but the But for evidence of the Keto Diet’s more immediate effects, Noakes
only one we, board-certified neurologists, can say cures the disease brings up South African athlete Bruce Fordyce, 61, who won the
is the Ketogenic Diet”. country’s biggest ultramarathon, the 89-kilometre Comrades, a
record nine times. He ate high-carb his whole life, eventually putting
Why? D’Agostino believes the diet remedies a metabolism on weight and becoming insulin resistant. Recently, though, he
imbalance in which brain cells are starved of, or unable to process, switched to a high-fat diet — and has regained his former waistline
glucose, causing the brain to go haywire. Live brain cells are and dramatically improved his marathon times. Little by little,
extremely difficult to study (for obvious reasons), but researchers according to Noakes, we’re learning.
have been able to tease out some clues from the petri dish about
why keto diets are good for the brain. Aside from being an energy “This is the single most important health intervention we can
source, ketones are also important neural signalling molecules make as doctors”, he says. “And as a nation.”
and gene transcription facilitators. Ketones also seem to modulate
the stress response in neurones and make them more resilient to Cauli-rice.
excitatory nerve transmissions — the kind that can cause seizures. Blend your cauli-
D’Agostino also found that ketones can elevate levels of the calming flower-head into
neurotransmitter GABA.
cauli-rice .
Theories aside, when he treated SEALs with a keto diet, their
seizures stopped.

But brain diseases aren’t the only illnesses doctors are beginning
to think are metabolic rather than purely genetic in origin. Many
common types of cancer — oesophagal, pancreatic, colon, kidney,
thyroid — are associated with obesity and diabetes, and D’Agostino
believes he’s on the path to understanding why.

Cancer cells thrive in high-sugar environments because they
rely on glycogen (sugar burned for energy) to survive; type-2
diabetes, especially, provides potential cancer cells with a high-
sugar environment. (Interestingly, PET scans detect cancer by
finding areas in the body with excess glucose compared with normal
tissues.) This suggests not only that glycogen may contribute to
cancer, but also that it may be cancer’s Achilles’ heel: If cancer cells
become compromised when their host is in a ketogenic state, the
body’s own immune responses may be able to effectively fight the
disease.

“We think the majority of cancers could be metabolically managed
through nutritional ketosis, either as a stand-alone pill or an adjunct
to standard care”, says D’Agostino, who has published research
showing that ketogenic diets can double the lifespan of mice with

44 MEN’S FITNESS MAY/JUN 2021

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